Prince Charming

Prince Charming

Year: 2001

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: English

Director: Allan Arkush

AdventureComedyRomanceFamilyFantasy

After an extramarital indiscretion, a fairy‑tale prince and his loyal sidekick are cursed to live as frogs for eternity—until the prince can persuade a maiden to both kiss him and agree to marry him. Their amphibian plight forces them into a comedic quest, hoping love will finally break the spell.

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Prince Charming (2001) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Prince Charming (2001), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Prince John of the fictional realm of Anwyn prides himself on rescuing maidens as a tactic to win their hearts. To end three centuries of war with the realm of Lothian, he is pressed into a marriage with the princess, who believes that a true love story will bloom once they say “I do.” But on the wedding day, a romantic indiscretion comes to light, breaking the princess’s heart and setting off a chain of consequences. As punishment, he is cursed to live as a frog forever, until such time as a maiden kisses him and marries him by the next full moon. For good measure, his squire Rodney is similarly transformed. The spell is stubborn enough to keep them alive, patiently waiting for the moment when true love can reverse the magic.

Five hundred years pass, and the two frogs find themselves carried into modern Manhattan, landing in the green expanse of Central Park. The frog prince spots Kate driving her horse-drawn carriage, an image that seems almost familiar to him, and he nearly receives a kiss—only to be interrupted and released back into the park’s bustling life. In a twist of fate, an aging actress named Margo plucks the prince from the water and gives him a kiss, breaking the curse for the moment but only until the next full moon returns, leaving the prince and his squire transformed back into their medieval garb with no memory of the centuries that have passed.

Driven by the need to find the woman who kissed him, the Prince and Rodney begin a curious, comic chase, with a wary Kate reluctantly drawn into their quest. Their travels bring them into contact with the stage and its secrets, where the prince, in his human form, at last meets Margo again, who is performing Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Margo uses the situation to test her own romantic loyalties, courting Hamish and inviting jealousy to keep her lover on his toes. The prince soon realizes that the only way to end the curse for good is to marry Margo, even as his heart starts to lean toward Kate, who patiently teaches him what true love means beyond history and folklore.

Meanwhile, Rodney finds in Serene—Serena a fellow “wizard”—a kindred spirit, and together they search for new potions and schemes that could secure a marriage between the prince and Margo. The stakes rise as the prince wrestles with duty, desire, and the evolving idea of modern love in a city that never sleeps.

In the end, the prince chooses Kate, and a kiss from her draws him back to humanity. The curse is finally broken by the power of true love, just as foretold, and all three couples find themselves aligned with the right person in a contemporary New York City. The story celebrates second chances, the complexities of heart-and-quest, and the idea that love can bridge centuries to bring people together.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:17

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Prince Charming

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Prince Charming

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