The Princess Diaries is as sappy as they come, a Pygmalion story told in Pollyanna terms. But sometimes sappy works, and this is one of those times.

| Original Score: B- | Apr 30, 2024

To say that both Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews are absolute perfection in The Princess Diaries would not be an understatement.

| Aug 3, 2021

Do Queen Clarisse and Joe succeed with their fair lady? Does Mia accept her destiny? Does she get her Prince Charming? Come on! This is Hollywood. This is Garry Marshall. This is a fairytale. This is once-upon-a-time. This is as good as it gets.

| Nov 14, 2019

This fairy tale, which feels as if it were made in the 1960s, deatures a star-making performance from the child-actress Anne Hathaway

| Original Score: C | May 1, 2011

Terrific fun for girls and their families, too.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Dec 28, 2010

The unexpected rewards of director Garry Marshall's ("Beaches") latest spin on the well-worn Pygmalion fairy tale are numerous.

| Original Score: B+ | Jul 19, 2009

This Cinderella fantasy transforms a geek into a princess, and teaches a few life lessons along the way.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 9, 2009

That this failed is largely down to the stilted, clichd dialogue of the screenplay; fans of the wittier novel by Meg Cabot may well be disappointed.

| Mar 9, 2009

Marshall milks the San Francisco scenery for all it's worth, but is all thumbs when it comes to squeezing the full comic possibilities of the story...

| Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 7, 2008

A light, uneven Pygmalion story that may win young girls over with its wish fulfilment theme and teen movie staples, but does not live up to the expectations created by the cast and director.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 30, 2006

An uneven-but-charming Disney comedy most parents won't mind watching with their kids.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Sep 1, 2006

Notions of responsibility, surrogacy, rites of passage and the value of friendship are gone through, but the highlighting of modern tropes merely serves to emphasise the film's conventionality.

| Feb 9, 2006

One of the most delightful and touching comedies to grace the big-screen in years that features no swearing, no sex, no violence, no drugs -- and no dull moments.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 6, 2005

Screenwriter Gina Wendkos, working from Meg Cabot's novel, resorts to monotonous movie clichs: almost uniformly cruel classmates and a callous, cacophonous mob of media jackals.

Full Review | Jul 21, 2005

...doesn't hold much appeal for those outside its target audience.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 21, 2004

| Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 13, 2004

These diaries have too many dull pages and not enough juicy bits to keep you interested.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 18, 2003

It's a cozy message for young girls, even if it's couched in a predictable plot that is pure Disney.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 10, 2003

Despite the hackneyed quality of the pretext, nice performances save this film from itself.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 8, 2003

What starts as a feel-good movie quickly degenerates into a feel-bored movie, not least because at two hours it's at least thirty minutes too long.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 30, 2002