Fantaghirò 2

Fantaghirò 2 or Cave of the Golden Rose 2 is the second movie in the Fantaghirò series. It was released in 1992. The story is about the evil Dark Witch's attempts to destroy Fantaghirò and Romualdo's great love for each other.

Plot
Introduction: "Once upon a time and a long time ago there was a queen. But she was not a queen like any other... The Black Queen was the most cruel, the meanest, the most ruthless! In short, it was the witchest of all the queens we know of."

Part 1
People throughout the land are excited about the upcoming wedding between Fantaghirò and Romualdo. Word even reaches the evil Black Queen (the Dark Witch), who then makes it her mission to destroy their love. She commands her slave Bolt to send them a wedding "present". The Dark Witch is able to see what Bolt sees through magic that connects Bolt and her brother Lightning.

Bolt joins a caravan that is making its way to Fantaghirò's castle for the celebration. They are attacked by Goldeye and his men, but are saved by the Queen's guard. Leading the Queen's guard is Fantaghirò herself, dressed in full armor, who manages to defeat Goldeye. During the tussle Bolt falls into a river and travels downstream, where she is saved by Romualdo. Romualdo has been travelling tirelessly with his friends, Cataldo and Ivaldo, in search of Fantaghirò's father to bring him home for the wedding. Bolt is touched by Romualdo's kind and friendly nature, but has no choice but to give him the Dark Witch's present before leaving.

Fantaghirò and Romualdo arrive back at the castle and are reunited. Catherine and Carolyn, who are pregnant, have been busy with the wedding preparations because Fantaghirò is too busy fighting brigands. Carolyn explores the many wedding presents that Fantaghirò has received, and opens the box that reveals the Dark Witch's gift: a figurine of a golden owl. The White Witch arrives before Fantaghirò can touch the statue, warning her that the statue is a portend of evil, and destroys it. The White Witch helps Fantaghirò make a magical vow where she promises to lay down her sword for all eternity, as a token of her love for Romualdo.

The Dark Witch has no powers in Fantaghirò's realm, so she hopes to lure them to her domain. She creates an army which she uses to capture Fantaghirò's father, the Father King. The Father King's squire is sent back to Fantaghirò's castle with a message. He arrives with the news just before Fantaghirò and Romualdo's vows are completed, effectively stopping the wedding. The squire informs them that in order get their Father King back, they must abdicate. Romualdo declares that it is time for war, and gathers his army to travel to the Dark Kingdom. Fantaghirò is left behind, charged to protect the kingdom.

Fantaghirò refuses to sit and wait. Her magical promise means that she can't use her sword, and any other sword she picks up breaks into pieces. However, she is still determined to help, so she cuts her hair and leaves with her horse Golden Mane, towards the Dark Kingdom. Along the way she accidentally stumbles into the lair of the Lemon Gobbler, where Goldeye forces her to dress up as a belly dancer and dance for them, as revenge for his humiliation earlier. Fantaghirò manages to escape, along the way picking up the Come-Back-Again Stone, before continuing. At the border to the Dark Witch's domain, the White Witch arrives, giving Fantaghirò a magic flint that can only be used once. The White Witch has no power in the Dark Witch's kingdom, but she transforms into her Goose form to accompany Fantaghirò for the rest of journey.

Meanwhile, Romualdo's group is waylaid by the Forest Elves, who bring them to the Queen of the Elves. They have been captured because they're carrying weapons, and will be executed. Romualdo tries to explain that they have good reasons for them, but the Queen merely offers three trials. If they survive, and can complete them, they will be allowed to pass. The three trials are: to hunt and kill ten pairs of animals, to successfully cut down the oldest tree in the forest, to change the direction of a river. At each trial Romualdo refuses to participate because they would affect the various innocent creatures of the forest. This turns out to be the correct answer, the Queen considers them allies and lets them pass.

Romualdo and his men arrive outside the Dark Witch's castle and make camp. Romualdo, Cataldo and Ivaldo enter the castle to negotiate with the Dark King for their Father King's release, but it's unsuccessful. During the fight, Cataldo notices that the Dark soldiers can be smashed and turn back into toy soldiers. The Dark King releases them, promising to attack in the morning. Romualdo and his friends return to camp to rest. The Dark Witch, disguised as Fantaghirò, arrives at the camp with "news" that Caterina and Carolina have given birth. She urges them to go back to the castle, promising to stay and fight in their stead, and they do. The Dark Witch then gets Romualdo to kiss her, successfully starting the spell that would erase Fantaghirò from his mind.

Cast and characters

 * Fantaghirò - Alessandra Martines
 * Romualdo - Kim Rossi Stuart
 * Cataldo - Stefano Davanzati
 * Ivaldo - Tomás Valík
 * The King - Mario Adorf
 * Dark Witch - Brigitte Nielsen
 * Bolt - Lenca Kubálková
 * Lightning - Jakub Zdenek
 * White Witch - Katarina Kolajova
 * Caterina - Barbora Kodetová
 * Carolina - Katerina Brozová
 * Goldeye - Karel Roden
 * Elf Queen - Anna Geislerová
 * Lemon Gobbler - Stanislav Tríska
 * Nanny - Stanislava Bartosova