ThiefHott Too much of everything

Wordiezett So much average

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

rooprect Recall the fabulous 80s: Knight Rider, Wham!, Peewee's Playhouse. It was a time of artistic innocence, and as such it was the perfect era for fairytale adaptations. Cannon Movie Tales' "Snow White" falls squarely into that vibe, and if you watch it with the mind of a child (or literally with a child), you'll indeed be transported to a fantasy land much removed from our 21st century gritty reality & cynicism.Scenes are bright, songs are bouncy, acting is delightfully melodramatic, and the story is simple yet engaging. I hated it. But that's because I was expecting something a little edgier like maybe "Willy Wonka" (made a decade prior). When I accepted that this was a true children's film, not an adult's film under the guise of a children's film like "Wonka", I had a great time.This film adaptation, one of Cannon Movie Tales' 9 installments, is remarkably close to the Grimm's vision. For that reason, the story may seem a little drawn out & redundant, showing all 3 attempts by the Evil Queen to nix Snow White, unlike the famous Disney version which showed only the apple. But I think this worked because it showed the Evil Queen's growing frustration, obsession & Faustian descent into black magic, all leading to the frenzied climax. It might be fun for you to read the Grimm's version before seeing this movie so you can see the pages come to life visually, almost exactly as the story was meant (it's only 5 pages, on gutenberg.org). There is one small variation, the ending (which I won't ruin). I found it to be very symbolic, poetic & satisfying, much more than the original Grimm's ending which, in Grimm tradition, is rather sudden and extreme.Special effects are minimal but effective. Obviously there's no digital cgi; instead the film relies on good old creative stunts, like you'd see in Jean Cocteau's timeless "Beauty and the Beast" (1950) or the obscure Russian fantasy horror "Viy" (1967). I was really impressed, and slightly creeped out, by the talking mirror which was played by the head of Julian Chagrin painted white with no eyeballs, partially thrust through the wall creating the simple yet convincing illusion that he's part of the frame.The acting, as I said above, is delightfully melodramatic as a fairytale should be. I agree with everyone else that Diana Rigg (an ex-Bond girl from the 70s "Her Majesty's Secret Service") is well cast as the Evil Queen, cruel, intimidating and oddly funny when she sings my favorite song from the film, "More Beautiful Than Me", sort of a wicked tango in a minor key (check it out on Youtube).Other songs range from fun to forgettable, but none are bad. Something I found interesting was the way the song styles were deliberately anachronistic and inappropriate for the setting (as with the aforementioned tango ...in 15th century Germany??).As far as fairytale adaptations go, this one is worth the price of admission. The DVD is quite rare, but occasionally you'll see one pop up on ebay for surprisingly cheap. The 2005 DVD is non-anamorphic letterboxed, meaning it's made for standard 4:3 TV sets even though the film is widescreen, and on widescreen tvs it doesn't fill the entire set. It would be nice to see this with the HD Blu-ray treatment some day. But considering for 20 years there were only a few VHS copies floating around, it's great that this cute film is finally available on disc.

lauraeileen894 Cannon Movie Tales were a low budget string of films that had remarkably big stars in them, but were really much too corny for most people's taste. I highly urge everyone to avoid the clunky adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast". The only other one I've seen is "Snow White", which is marginally better... but that's damning with faint praise, considering this version of "Snow White" isn't particularly good and has a considerable list of faults.Take, for instance, Snow White and the Prince's meeting. He meets her right after she is awakened from the poisoned apple (instead of a revitalizing kiss, the piece is jostled out of her mouth). Instead of a courtship, they immediately marry in what is easily the most joyless and mechanical wedding to ever appear in a children's film. Neither couple looks remotely happy. It could be because they haven't had a properly dated; but then, when has that ever been important in fairy tales? Couldn't one of them at least crack a hint of a smile? As the Evil Queen, Diana Rigg seems to channel Gloria Swanson from "Sunset Boulevard". In every scene Rigg was in, I waited with baited breath to hear her say, "All right, Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my close-up!" Rigg also has a dreadful musical number (and the poor dear can't sing a note) and an appallingly hideous wardrobe. We're talking foot-high headdresses and shapeless, sequined tunics. Don't you think someone as vain as the Queen would be a little more fashion savvy than this? The editing is also inexcusably poor. When little Snow White (Nicola Stapleton) is running from the hunter trying to kill her, there are random, stock footage close-ups of animals that play no part in the scene whatsoever, like the lingering shot of a python that has no payoff at all. And for such a climactic, pivotal scene, it was rather boring and ineffective.The dwarfs are at least partially amusing, acting like a bunch of aging vaudevillians, and painfully attractive brunette Sarah Patterson ("The Company of Wolves") plays Snow White. She brings nothing new to the part, but since Snow White isn't supposed to be interesting, that's to be expected.Normally, I write reviews warning people against bad movies. However, this version of "Snow White" is worth a watch for its corny screenplay, bad acting, and some of the most ridiculous sequences ever. Remember when I mentioned the poisoned piece of apple coming out of Snow White's mouth? It actually flies out of her mouth, in a hilarious, bad blue screen effect, and soars through the sky and hits the Evil Queen in the head. Words fail me.Grab a movie buddy and have a some MST3K-style quips ready for this delightfully campy fairy tale.

phillindholm "Snow White" is another of Cannon Films "Movie Tales" series which bypassed theaters and went straight to video instead. I really wanted to like this film, and there ARE some good things in it, but it's not the Snow White it could have been. The script is, at least, a fairly faithful version of the original story, which the Disney film, for all it's charm, was not. The music and songs (by Michael Berz) are above average and nicely staged. Both Sarah Patterson and Nicola Stapleton are well cast as the older and younger Snow White, as is the prince. The production values are equally persuasive, especially considering it was filmed mostly in Isreal. What's wrong, then? Sadly, enough to make the picture a less than "enchanting" experience. The Dwarfs are little more than obnoxious (including the late veteran Billy Barty) and there is an abundance of out of place humor which does nothing but jar the mood. But what really does the film in dramatically, is the portrayal of the evil Queen, here played by the usually magnificent Diana Rigg. It's the fault of the script that the character is written in such an over the top manner, but Rigg hams it up for all she is worth. Her costumes are almost all hideous, adding to the lampooning of the character (who must be taken seriously, if the story is to make sense.) Yes, by the climax of the movie the story switches to a "darker" mood, but, by then it's too late. Musical or not, there is no reason to add burlesque to a classic story. "Snow White" might better have been left on the shelf.

jaybee-10 Diana Rigg, is outstanding, Nicola Stapleton as young Snow white is...young Snow White..,and Sarah Patterson is the epitome of Snow White.Sarah Patterson is such a wonderful surprise...I couldn't have anticipated a truer character. It is no wonder the prince fell in love immediately. They all are talented actors, but I saw the characters, not actors.