The Swan Princess is a 1994 American animated film based on the ballet "Swan Lake". Starring the voice talents of Jack Palance, John Cleese, Steven Wright, and Sandy Duncan, the film is directed by a former Disney animation director, Richard Rich, with a music score by Lex de Azevedo. The film was followed by two direct-to-video sequels: The Swan Princess II: Escape from Castle Mountain (1997) and The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Kingdom (1998).
The story starts with an aging king named William (Dakin Matthews) who has a daughter named Odette (Adrian Zahiri/Michelle Nicastro). His friend, the widowed Queen Uberta (Sandy Duncan) decide to have Odette and the Queen's son, Prince Derek (Adam Wylie/Howard McGillin), meet every summer with hopes they'd fall in love. During most of their childhood, Derek and Odette are seen fighting or playing pranks on one another.
The evil sorcerer Rothbart (Jack Palance) plots to take over William's kingdom, only to be swiftly thwarted by William's forces. He is banished, and swears he will once again rise and steal away all that is loved by William.
One summer Derek and Odette realize their love. Derek announces the marriage, but Odette asks what else he has to say beyond her beauty. But Derek can only answer "What else is there?" Odette is disappointed by his answer, so the marriage is called off.
Derek admits to Lord Rogers (Mark Harelik), his mother's adviser, and his best friend Bromley that he'll prove his love for her. Elsewhere, Rothbart uses his magic to turn into a horrible bat-like beast and kills most of William's soldiers and kidnaps Odette. King William's captain makes it back to Derek's castle and says they were attacked by a "Great Animal." Derek rushes to the scene; however, he only finds an injured King William who dies in Derek's arms.
Rothbart and his assistant "The Hag" have changed Odette into a swan. Odette can turn back into a human every night, but only when she's on the lake during moonlight. When the moon sets, she'll turn back into a swan. Every night Rothbart tries to persuade Odette to marry him so he can rule the kingdom, but she refuses. Derek, who believes that Odette is alive, practices his hunting to find Odette and the "Great Animal."
Odette has befriended an old turtle named Speed (Steven Wright) and a French-speaking frog named Jean-Bob (John Cleese), who believes he's a prince who was turned into a frog. He wants to kiss Odette to turn back into a prince. Her newest friend is Puffin (Steve Vinovich), a puffin bird whose wing she fixed. Puffin insists that he wants to repay her kindness.
Uberta plans a ball to find Derek another princess. Derek, realizing the "Great Animal" is a shape shifter, goes to hunt for it, but he promises to come home for his mother's ball, unaware of his mother's reasons for holding a ball. Meanwhile, Odette and her friends make their way to Derek's kingdom and find Derek. However, Derek believes the swan is the "Great Animal" and tries to kill her. Puffin saves Odette and the two fly off. They eventually lead him back to the lake. In the moonlight Derek sees that the swan is Odette, and the two embrace happily. Odette tells him the way to break the spell is by making a vow of everlasting love. As he leaves, Rothbart appears. Worried that he'll look for Derek, she announces she'll marry him. But Rothbart reveals he heard their plan.
Rothbart says that tomorrow has no moon, so Odette can't transform into a human. Rothbart uses his magic to turn the "Hag" into Odette and sends her as a decoy to the ball to make Derek give his vow to the wrong woman. Rothbart locks Odette in a tower with Bromley. As the ball begins, Jean-Bob, Speed and Puffin help Odette break out. At the ball, Derek dances with the fake Odette.
As the real Odette reaches the castle, she's too late, and Derek makes the vow to the wrong woman. Rothbart then interrupts the celebration and reveals that not only did Derek make a vow to the decoy, but that because of this error, the real Odette will die.
Realizing his mistake and the severity of the situation, Derek races to Swan Lake. At the same time, Odette flies back to the lake as Rothbart's curse drains her life force. Derek then arrives, only to find Odette nearly dead. Awakening briefly, she tells Derek she loves him before dying in his arms. Derek confronts the sorcerer, demanding that he not let Odette die. In response, Rothbart transforms into the "Great Animal" and engages Derek in combat. With his superior strength and power, Rothbart easily outmatches Derek, destroying his sword, and nearly kills the Prince in the fight. Fortunately, the animals manage to return Derek's bow to him, and Bromley, who has escaped from his earlier imprisonment, provides Derek with a single arrow. Derek catches the arrow and quickly fires it straight into Rothbart's heart.
Derek then tells the lifeless Odette in his arms that he loves her for who she is. Upon that declaration of love, Odette immediately awakens. Odette and Derek are married and made king and queen. Puffin apparently flies off with a group of swans, saying that they were in his army now. As night comes, it is shown that Odette and Derek have had the abandoned castle rebuilt and are residents in it, as a party goes on inside. Odette gives Jean-Bob a kiss, but nothing happens.
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