Ice Princess

Casey Carlyle (Michelle Trachtenberg, RIP) is a physics genius and a skating lover. She is really good at explaining physics but also graceful at skating. And really good at almost anything. But she has to make a choice. Which one of the two will she choose?

This being a Disney movie shows us the humble beginnings and also the struggles of its main protagonist. In this case, Casey, struggling to please everyone but herself and paying the price for it. She's an excellent student, she leads by example but is she following her hearts desires?

Her relationship with her mother Joan (Joan Cusack) is non-existent and also a bit abusing to an extend. The same applies for her coach, Tina (Kim Cattrall). At least she has friends that she can count on like Ann (Amy Stewart), Gen, who is Tina's daughter (Hayden Panettiere) and Nikki (Kirsten Olson). She also meets her prince charming and also son of Tina, Teddy (Trevor Blumas).

The teachings of this movie are indeed powerful and the magic of the protagonist's determination to see her future through is actually aspiring and wonderful to see. Life doesn't start till you decide what's best for yourself. And then the magic starts to happen.

'Ice Princess' is good. Nothing more, nothing less.

There are enjoyable performances from Michelle Trachtenberg (Casey), Hayden Panettiere (Gen), Kim Cattrall (Tina) and Joan Cusack (Joan - creative!). Even if the latter two's characters are irritating at times, but that is intentional to be fair. There's also an appearance for Erik King, which I guess you could say was a "Surprise!" ...

Props are in order for Christophe Beck, who I thought did a top job with the music - all of which suited events very well. The premise, which entails figure skating, is entertaining enough to see unfold. It's nothing special, but is certainly a harmless and fine production from 2005.

Ice Princess is a fun, lighthearted movie with a simple but engaging plot. It follows a classic underdog story, making it easy to root for the main character. While the storyline isn't groundbreaking, it works well for a family-friendly film, keeping things straightforward without unnecessary drama. The directing is solid, balancing the emotional moments with the sports aspects, and the pacing keeps things moving without dragging. The cinematography captures the elegance of figure skating, making the performances visually appealing, even if some scenes feel a bit predictable.

Michelle Trachtenberg delivers a strong performance, carrying the movie with ease. She makes the character relatable, and her acting adds depth to the story. The supporting cast does a good job as well, though no one really steals the spotlight from her. The script is decent, with natural dialogue that fits the tone of the film. The music and sound design complement the skating sequences, adding energy where needed. Overall, it is an enjoyable and well-put-together movie that makes for a great watch, especially for a casual family night. Michelle Trachtenberg's presence, both on and off screen, was exceptional. She will be deeply missed.

Nothing out of the ordinary in this film but you don't always need something extraordinary to get a good feeling,and thats what you got from this movie... The movie is about a science geek girl who discovers laten skills in figureskating.I'm not that interested in either one but the thing that made me feel for the character was the joy and enthusiasm for skating. For me the a film gets minus points according to the irritation factor,and in this film though quite unusual there wasn't many irritating oversentimentalities. And you couldn't help falling in love with the girl in the lead role...;) recommend it for anyone who likes basic drama with a hint of comedy...

Ice Princess was typical family fluff that was an enjoyable hour and 1/2 escape from the tensions of real life. With that in mind, it was a great success as entertainment and release from stress.

The plot is simple and "age worn" - a teen named Casey (Michelle Trachtenberg) is torn between fulfilling the dreams of her parent or following her own dreams. Nothing new here. Yet, the supporting characters of Gen Harwood (Hayden Panettiere) and her mother Tina (Kim Cattrall) also have the same situation. Tina, a skating coach, wants her daughter to become a skating champion, an achievement Tina was unable to fulfill in her own skating career. Thus, both Gen and Casey have something in common: pleasing mom or pleasing themselves.

Yet, Gen and Casey were dramatically different. Casey was a brilliant student with her eyes on Harvard while being gifted at skating, too. Meanwhile, Gen excelled only by becoming a slave to skating and sacrificing her schoolwork.

And it is with that difference that I believe Disney missed the potential. The "Casey's" of the world are few and far between, and it is difficult to relate to them: "Oh, gee. Will I go to Harvard because I'm brilliant at school? Or will I become a skating champion because I'm brilliant on the ice?" Because she is so distant from the vast majority of people, she never truly grabbed my empathy.

Gen, on the other hand, is very, very real. She is being pushed into a sport by a parent, and her social life and academics are suffering. She faces a real dilemma. Plus, she has no hope of excelling at either academics or skating. Her social life is her only escape from this vise. And Gen is endearing because she seems to have a "good heart" despite the difficulty. And how often we see kids with "good hearts" trapped by situations.

I believe that most of us can relate much better to Gen than to Casey. I would have preferred the character of Gen to be the focus of the story with Casey's character in the supporting role. It would be tougher, grittier, and more meaningful to the audience.

Yeah, we all cheered for Casey, but I was cheering for Gen even more.