Friday, December 4, 2015

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: The 10th Kingdom: 15th Anniversary Special Edition


The 10th Kingdom 
15th Anniversary Special Edition
 Studio:Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Retail: $24.98
Running Time: 447 minutes
ASIN: B0159B1HKQ

Product Description:

Join an all-star cast as they find fantasy, action, romance and adventure in the Emmy winning® The 10th Kingdom! Beyond the mortal world lies Nine Kingdoms where the fantastic land of fairy tales and magic are brought to life – and reinvented. The themes and ideas of folklore and mythology perform fully as the classic characters enter a vortex at the edge of the mortal world which leads them to The 10th Kingdom…Central Park!

This ten part mini-series tells the tale of Prince Wendell (Daniel Lapaine) and the evil queen (Dianne Wiest) who has doomed him to spend the rest of his life as a dog. In order to recapture the throne Prince Wendell travels through the portal to the mythical kingdom of Manhattan and finds two ordinary mortals Virginia (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) and Tony (John Larroquette). Together they battle the evils of the parallel universe, and defend themselves from vile trolls, goblins and every fairy tale character imaginable! Stunning visual effects and a stellar cast create an epic adventure that will enchant audiences of all ages!

An all-star cast featuring a wealth of Emmy®, Oscar®, and Golden Globe®-wining and nominated talent including: John Larroquette (Boston Legal, The Practice), Kimberly Williams-Paisley (Nashville, Father of the Bride), Scott Cohen (Love and Other Drugs, Jacob’s Ladder), Ann-Margret (Bye Bye Birdie, Tommy), Rutger Hauer (Batman Begins, Sin City), Daniel Lapaine (Double Jeopardy), Camryn Manheim (The Practice), Ed O’Neill (Modern Family, Married with Children) and Dianne Wiest (Edward Scissorhands, Parenthood)!




Billy's Thoughts:

Miniseries are a thing of the past on network television anymore. The last 'good" miniseries was The 10th Kingdom, a 10-hour (with commercials) miniseries that aired on NBC in 5-parts during the Winter of 2000 (back when I was a senior in high school). It was quickly released on to a VHS, but cramming 447 minutes of film onto a few tapes lowered the picture quality heavily. It was released to DVD in 2002 and again in 2013, and while the video quality was better, there were still complaints from die-hard fans that demanded a clearer picture.

Now, they've finally gotten their wish this year's The 10th Kingdom: 15th Anniversary Special Edition a two-disc Blu-ray. Unlike the past releases, the film is now available in wide-screen format (1.78:1). The resolution is now crystal clear and the sound is superb. Speaking of sound, there is an optional "isolated score track" by Anne Dudley. The only special feature is "The Making of The 10th Kingdom."

The 10th Kingdom centered on a New York City waitress Virginia (played by Kimberly Williams-Paisley) rescuing a dog, Prince Wendell, from three trolls in Central Park. It turns out that there is a hidden world where the Nine Kingdoms lies, a mystical place where fairy tales are real. The Evil Queen had escaped her prison cell. She switched the Prince's body with a dog, but he quickly escaped through a magical portal to our world. The Evil Queen (played by Dianne Wiest) sends the trolls to retrieve the Prince.

However, the Evil Queen doubts of the trolls' will succeed, so she also sends Wolf (played by Scott Cohen) to New York City. While Wolf quickly tracks down the Prince, the unthinkable happens - he catches a glimpse of Virginia and instantly falls in love her. Switching sides, Wolf helps Virginia, her father Tony (played by John Larroquette) and the Prince escape the trolls by leaping through the portal and entering into the Nine Kingdoms.

Now, the unlikely heroes must travel through the fairy tales lands to help transfer the Prince back into his own body, stop the Evil Queen and find the magic mirror that will send them back to New York City!

Overall, The 10th Kingdom is a fun and dazzling miniseries that's finally getting the Blu-ray release that it deserves. Considering it was made for television fifteen-years-ago, it holds up pretty well. It would make a great Christmas gift for both kids and adults.



*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.


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