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A teen inspirational dramedy about a high school physics nerd who follows her dream of becoming a figure skater, "Ice Princess" proves that it's still possible to teach an old formula a few new tricks.

Thanks to an insightful script (credited to Hadley Davis), a light but assured directorial touch (by England's Tim Fywell) and especially to a delightful title performance by Michelle Trachtenberg, this Cinderella tale of female empowerment remains engaging while not always having pretty things to say about mother-daughter dynamics and competitive sports.

The Disney picture should handily score a direct hit to its targeted young female demographic as well as striking a chord with their big sisters, moms and aunts.

Making the klutz to lutz transition with crowd-pleasing appeal is Trachtenberg's Casey Carlyle, a brainy but unpopular high school student whose academic, single mom (the always splendid Joan Cusack) envisions a Harvard education for her daughter.

But when a science class report on the physical dynamics of figure skating provides Casey with a rink-side view into the rhinestone-studded world of Axels and Salchows, she decides to pursue a secret childhood fantasy.

That is, if she's able to survive Tina Harwood (Kim Cattrall), a tough-as-nails coach and former ice princess herself, not to mention fiercely determined skater mom to Gen (Hayden Panettiere), a championship contender who'd rather live the life of an average teenager.

Helping through those inevitable tough patches is Gen's sympathetic brother, Teddy (Trevor Blumas), who serves as Casey's handsome prince riding in on a trusty Zamboni.

In short, "Ice Princess" doesn't break a sweat trying to reinvent the wheel, but it goes to show how effective the original model can be when there are skilled operators involved.

Fywell, who made his feature directorial debut with "I Capture the Castle", keeps the elements running smoothly and efficiently, working from a knowing script by "Dawson's Creek" and "Spin City" writer Davis, who also shares story credit with "The Princess Diaries" author Meg Cabot.

Key to the success of the film is the tricky dynamic among Trachtenberg, Cusack and Cattrall that adroitly manages to avoid falling into one-dimensional good vs. evil stereotypes.

Also helping to keep things real is the decision to cast as many professional skaters as possible in the roles of Casey's contemporaries, with Kirsten Olson, Juliana Cannarozzo and Jocelyn Lai proving to be as confident in front of the camera as they are on the ice.

Technical contributions are equally well-executed, highlighted by cinematographer David Hennings' ("Blue Crush") propulsive camera work and choreographer Anne Fletcher's colorful, far-from-routine routines.

ICE PRINCESS

Buena Vista

A Walt Disney Pictures presentation

Credits: Director: Tim Fywell; Screenwriter: Hadley Davis; Story: Meg Cabot, Hadley Davis; Producer: Bridget Johnson; Executive producer: William W. Wilson III; Director of photography: David Hennings; Production designer: Lester Cohen; Editor: Janice Hampton; Costume designer: Michael Dennison; Music: Christophe Beck. Cast: Joan Carlyle: Joan Cusack; Tina Harwood: Kim Cattrall; Casey Carlyle: Michelle Trachtenberg; Gen Harwood: Hayden Panettiere; Teddy Harwood: Trevor Blumas; Nikki: Kirsten Olson; Nikki's Mom: Connie Ray; Zoey: Juliana Cannarozzo; Tiffany: Jocelyn Lai.

MPAA rating G, running time 98 minutes.

Kim Cattrall is heading to the rink, signing on to play a former ice skating phenom in the Walt Disney Co.'s Ice Princess. The project, directed by Tim Fywell, is Cattrall's first following her Golden Globe-winning run on HBO's Sex and the City. Cattrall is taking on a role that is quite the opposite of the sexy siren Samantha she played on Sex and the City by portraying an ice skating instructor who at one time had a chance to make the Olympics but now is helping Michelle Trachtenberg's character fulfill her skating dreams. Juliana Cannarozzo, Trevor Blumas and Hayden Panettiere round out the cast. Bridget Johnson is producing the project. Writers on the project include Hadley Davis and Leslie Dixon, the latter of whom penned the most recent version. Karen Glass and Kristin Burr are overseeing the project at the studio. Cattrall is repped by ICM and by attorney Kevin Yorn. Her feature credits include Crossroads and 15 Minutes, opposite Robert De Niro and Ed Burns. Nominated for four Emmys for her performance on Sex, Cattrall took home the Globe in 2003.

Newcomer Trevor Blumas is lacing up his ice skates to star opposite Michelle Trachtenberg in Ice Princess for the Walt Disney Co. Shooting is scheduled to begin next week with Tim Fywell at the helm. Ice Princess, described as Flashdance meets Bring It On, follows a brainy ugly duckling (Trachtenberg) who realizes her dream of becoming a champion figure skater with the help of a disgraced coach and the boy (Blumas) who drives the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine. Bridget Johnson is producing the project. Hadley Davis penned the most recent draft of the screenplay. At the studio, the project is being overseen by Karen Glass and Kristin Burr. Blumas appeared on the TV series Due South and Earth: Final Conflict. He is repped by the Gersh Agency and Miles Levy of James/Levy/Jacobson.