Hathaway's performance was widely praised by film critics, as was her chemistry with Andrews. LaSalle wrote, "Hathaway is not a natural comic, but her acting has a truthfulness that gives "The Princess Diaries" its emotional core. She is also a chameleon, who, from the most unpromising of beginnings, blossoms before our eyes into near- Audrey Hepburn-level loveliness", additionally commending her chemistry with Matarazzo. Elvis Mitchell, film critic for "The New York Times", found the film to be merely "a blandly reassuring comedy" but described it as perfectly cast, hailing Hathaway as "royalty in the making, a young comic talent with a scramble of features". However, Mitchell felt that her character becomes less interesting once she undergoes her makeover and predicted that some viewers will find the sequence problematic. Similarly, "The Seattle Times"' Moira Macdonald felt that the film could have done without Mia's "teen-queen makeover, which made her look alarmingly like a junior Julia Roberts", but wrote that Andrews "tucks the film into her carpet bag and walks away with it", crowning her "pure screen royalty".