Fans of the original novel by Gail Carson Levine may be carrying a little more baggage. The novel didn’t mix medieval and contemporary, so they may not enjoy the comic elements this mixing brings to the movie. At least not at first. But these little jokes are fun, and they keep you looking for the next silly thing. I won’t mention too many, but the fancy hotel is the IV Seasons, and the retired fairy lives in the Dunne Flyin’ Retirement Community. The characters use contemporary expressions. The tunes are 70s rock tunes. The costumes are medieval hippy chic meets The Limited Too.

Cinderella is the most enduring fairy tale, I think, not so much because of the handsome prince at the end of the story (lots of fairly tales have princes) but because Cinderella is a worthy princess in the rough. She labors. She cares. She struggles.

In Ella Enchanted those struggles involve the usual misfortunes. Ella’s mother dies when she is young. Her family falls on tough times financially. This compels Ella’s father to take a new wife who has lots of money and admires his title. The wicked stepmother comes with two selfish daughters who treat Ella terribly, which is easy because Papa is away on business.

But Ella has an extra burden. In the kingdom of Frell, all children are blessed at birth by a fairy with a special gift. Poor Ella has been given the “gift” of obedience and must comply with whatever requests come her way.

Ella is played by Anne Hathaway, an actress who is soon due to play something other than a princess. Hathaway is the star of The Princess Diaries and its soon-to-be-released sequel. She has charm, talent and big-featured brunette prettiness that makes her believable as a regular girl who can transform into a princess.

Ella is able to keep her burdensome gift of obedience a secret known only to her mother and her wacky house fairy Mandy (Minnie Driver). Even her father doesn’t know. But once the stepfamily - Dame Olga (Joanna Lumley), Hattie (Lucy Punch) and Olive (Jennifer Higham) - arrives, it takes the selfish and demanding sister Hattie little time to discover the power she can use to control Ella.

When Hattie’s nastiness makes Ella lose her best friend Areida (the wonderful Parminder Nagra of Bend It Like Beckham in a throwaway role), Ella sets off to find Lucinda Perriweather (Vivica A. Fox), the fairy who bestowed the blessing of obedience, to make her take back the blessing.

At this point Ella Enchanted - which is mixing elements of The Princess Bride, Ever After and more - takes a little turn in the direction of The Wizard of Oz. Ella sets off through the forest with her friend Benny (Jimi Mistry), a man trapped in a magical book. She meets Slannen of Pim, an elf with ambition, who joins her journey. They are also joined by the prince who helps them out of an uncomfortable encounter with ogres.

Oh, I almost forgot the prince. Prince Charmont is a dreamy hunk adored by all the damsels in the land - except Ella. He is played by Hugh Dancy who was wonderful recently in the Masterpiece Theater production of Daniel Deronda. The prince is about to become king. His father was killed years ago, and he has been raised by his Uncle Edgar. Cary Elwes, the handsome young prince in The Princess Bride is the bad guy uncle here. He has a snake as an advisor and designs on the throne. Edgar has also divided the kingdom, casting out all ogres, giants and elves.

Ella has no confidence that Prince Char, as he is called by his many admirers, will right this civil rights wrong, even though the Prince’s father ruled over a land where all were considered equals.

But Prince Char and Ella keep running into each other, and as Ella gets to know the prince and starts to influence his thinking, the two fall in love. Their affection for each other grows as they enjoy adventures together. The most amusing of these is the wedding they crash. A couple of giants are getting hitched, and Ella is asked to sing. She belts out a convincing rendition of the Queen classic “Somebody to Love,” and realizes she found just that.

There are a few more fairy tale obstacles to hurdle - an assassination attempt, moments of doubt, the disenfranchised and cast off banding together to rescue the princess - but a happy ending is coming. This happy ending includes a big production number with the whole cast dancing and singing “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.”

The few folks who have seen director Tommy O’Haver’s first film, Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss, will not be surprised by the big production numbers, the bright and candy-colored sets, the sweet conviction that love will save the day, and, as Marge Simpson might say, the “festive” attitude of the whole movie. Ella Enchanted is a light bright smiling affair, the kind of movie with positive messages to match its upbeat look and feel. It is the kind of simple but very watchable picture the whole family can enjoy without squirming.

Hollywood should make more pictures like Ella Enchanted. Previewed before Ella Enchanted was New York Minute, a film that stars the no-longer-child-stars Mary Kate and Ashley, no last name necessary.

Maybe New York Minute will surprise me, but it looks awful. The preview tells the whole story. One twin skips school all the time and is in a band, and the other is much more serious. And they don’t get along! Wow! Think of the possibilities. Yich. Perhaps Eugene Levy can save that mess, but why wait and worry? See Ella Enchanted. Its hip without being vulgar, and it has that Wizard of Oz message we all need to hear. The answers to our troubles are found inside us.