A teen inspirational dramedy about a high school physics nerd who follows her dream of becoming a figure skater, "Ice Princess" proves that it's still possible to teach an old formula a few new tricks. Thanks to an insightful script (credited to Hadley Davis), a light but assured directorial touch (by England's Tim Fywell) and especially to a delightful title performance by Michelle Trachtenberg, this Cinderella tale of female empowerment remains engaging while not always having pretty things to say about mother-daughter dynamics and competitive sports. The Disney picture should handily score a direct hit to its targeted young female demographic as well as striking a chord with their big sisters, moms and aunts.

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