The 10th Kingdom Review – Disc B

The 10th Kingdom is one of my favorite Mini-Series of all time. I was entranced by the teaser commercial they showed on TV and managed to talk my mother into letting me commandeer the family TV for the duration in order to watch. My Dad even watched with us and liked it! It was a great film for the whole family to enjoy. I have been feeling sort of nostalgic lately and decided to give it another watch.

The 10th Kingdom is an American fairytale fantasy miniseries written by Simon Moore and produced by Britain’s Carnival Films, Germany’s Babelsberg Film und Fernsehen, and the USA’s Hallmark Entertainment. It depicts the adventures of a young woman and her father after they are transported from Manhattan, New York, through a magical mirror into a parallel world of fairy tales and magical beings.

The miniseries was initially broadcast over five nights in two-hour episodes on NBC, beginning February 27, 2000. It won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design in 2000. – Wikipedia The 10th Kingdom

Let’s continue with our review with Disc B. (I love how the menus label it A, B, and C, while the Discs are labeled 1, 2, and 3.)

I’m going to break this down by Disc since the DVD came in a 3-disc set.

**Spoilers Ahead!!****Spoilers Ahead!!****Spoilers Ahead!!****Spoilers Ahead!!****Spoilers Ahead!!**

Disc B: Family Secret

When we left off Virginia has been taken by the Huntsman, leaving Tony and Wolf left with only each other’s company and a gold Prince (who is buried in the woods somewhere). Virginia has been cursed by the Gypsies to die of long hair. The Evil Queen is working with the Troll King to take over the 4th Kingdom.

All of my favorite moments happen on Disc 2. We’ll get into specifics a little later, but this one is the best. The first disc focuses more on New York and introducing the 10 Kingdoms and the third mainly focuses on the Castle (more on that later). In Disc 2, we get a longer look at the culture and lands of the 10 Kingdoms.

We open with Prince Wendell’s Council lamenting his disappearance and fervently trying to solve their Troll King problem, not wanting to act without their Prince’s permission. The Queen spies on the Council and orders her Huntsman to attack the rider who is headed towards where her fake letter said Prince Wendell was located with a “sprained ankle”. Wolf and Tony discovered the location of a Magic Axe that will cut anything it hits and never misses. We get to hear the Huntsman’s story and Virginia is literally saved by the bell. Tony saves Wolf’s neck and guesses the Blind Axeman’s name, with the help of a talking bird. The same talking bird finds Virginia and leads Tony and Wolf to her. They encounter the Huntsman, but save Virginia. Wolf’s very storybook way of saving Virginia was lovely, but made even better with his added humor. When I was younger it cracked me up. As an adult, it gives me the giggles.

The Troll King goes rogue, leaving the Queen with a War on her hands and a giant monkey wrench in her plans. We find Acorn, played by my fav Warwick Davis, and that the mirror is in a sheep town. Nice teaser for what is to come. We find the full moon is upon Wolf. Fun times… and enter Peep Town! Where the Peeps win everything and are great at everything. We meet one of my favorite characters, the Peep Village Idiot. He makes me giggle. He aspires to his position with proud gusto. The change in Wolf during the full moon is a little creepy, but awesome. Scott Cohen really did well here. We find out the Peep’s secret and that they have been screwing over everyone else. Naughty. Virginia enters the Shepherdess competition with her sheep song of “We Will Sheer You” ala Queen’s “We Will Rock You”. (tee hee) Though, I doubt Virginia could have made that dress in that short amount of time. Prince is saved and saves the day at the sheep herding part of the Shepherdess Competition. We have the mirror, but Wolf gets into trouble. Virginia steps up, but it is ultimately Prince that comes in and saves the day (again). Wolf is saved! They don’t get a moment to celebrate for long, because the mirror has been taken by accident.

Meanwhile, the Troll King and the Evil Queen’s friendship is dissolved. The 4th Kingdom Council is discussing splitting the kingdom in order to get aid from the other kingdoms.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART! I love this next location, Kissing Town! It is a picturesque village full of color, life, and so green! A little creepy how they made Snow White’s glass coffin a tourist attraction. Such a lovely Germanic village. (Brief pause to see the Evil Queen being evil. Poor puppy.) The team has taken to gambling to solve their money issue since the mirror is up for auction for 5000 gold Wendells (gWs). Wolf wins 10,000 gWs and uses it to romance Virginia in order to propose to her. Tony is on a winning streak and makes his way to the high rollers tables. Wolf buys an engagement ring (I love how he shoots the bird!) and gets a magical singing ring. He also spends all the money. I love it when the ring salesman says the magic rings are “disgracefully expensive”! Tony bets and looses. Luckily, Prince split the prize money with the Winner thanks to a sign Virginia made him wear. They loose the mirror and Wolf’s plan blows up in his face when she finds out he had the money to buy the mirror and blew it all. Wolf leaves the party.

Meanwhile, the Evil Queen’s problems get worse when the puppy Prince flies the coop. She gets some otherworldly advice from an old Villainess. Murder is plotted. I love how the poison apple bleeds. Yum. The Queen murders the Troll King and his army, stopping the invasion with an orchard of poison apples. She recaptures the puppy Prince and the Huntsman has the mirror. Things are looking up for the Queen. The Huntsman offers a “trade” with Tony. Hand over the dog or I smash the mirror.

Tony and Prince concoct a plan to foil the Huntsman. Prince’s part of the plan goes right, but Tony breaks the mirror. In order to fix it, they head to Dragon Mountain to find dwarves. Tony is cursed with bad luck and they are sentenced to death by the Dwarves. Prince saves the day, again. They find out there is one traveling mirror left and the Evil Queen has it. Virginia gets help from her fairy Godmother, Snow White. They escape the Dwarf Mountain and learn the Evil Queen is…. *SPOILER ALERT*

…Virginia’s MOM. DUN DUN DUUUUUN!

To continue, please go to side C. Until next time!