I've always loved fairy tales as a child, "Snow White" believe it or not isn't one of my favorates but that's just me, though I do really like the story. It really supprised me when I discovered how many live action versions of this tale there were, which shows how timeless this tale is. Yeah just like in an apple tree there are some bad apples/ bad adaptations of this tale but there are also good ones and this is one of them.
This film is kinda another one of my childhood gems, I mainly saw this on home video in my second grade class and I really liked it. Watching it as an adult I still like it, what can I say I really have a soft spot for this movie.
Supprising fact of this film it was from the Cannon film company which is one of my favorate movie companies as their famous for their series of action films. I honestly didn't expect them to try their hand in the fantasy genre, but most movie companies always try to branch out which I like showing that they can do more. This was a volume in this series of live action adaptions of fairy tales, this volume I honestly feel is the best one in my book.
Not much to say, production value is pretty good despite the limited budget Cannon as usual works with I felt they really did will with what they had, the set pieces and costumes are all up to par, even certain effects (though not many but Snow White was never an effects show) are on par because it's all practical no CGI bull crap.
Music is soild though not that memorable which is the weak point of the film, don't get me wrong the songs are fun but not exactly the kind I would play on my Ipod over and over, but that's me. Though I really did like the one song that Sarah Patterson sings, I was really supprised she could actually sing, and it's a beautiful voice.
But I think what really sticks out are in the performances. Diana Rigg is soild as the Evil Queen, and yes I have seen "The Avengers" really like that show. She's a villan you love to dislike or even plan dislike as she really presses that wrong button; as usual is vein, narsistic, self centered, she's kinda funny there are bits of dry humor.
The Dwarves are really good too, just like in the Disney version each of them have some distinctive personalities . Though what's interesting is each of them have all different names that rymme. It kinda makes sense they would all have different names than the one's from the Disney version since in the original fairy tale none of them had any names. Billy Barty is one of them whom is defiantly no stranger to the fantasy genere as he was also in "Willow" and the underrated "Masters of the Universe".
But my favorate of course is Sarah Paterson as Snow White. When I was a kid I had the biggest crush on this actress she just radiates gogiousness, she to me is one of my favorate live action versions of Snow, she just fits the role like a glove, not just in looks but in performance as she captures the persona which is sweet, kind, but also slightly naïve and inexperienced with the outside world as she's lived a sheltered life most of her life but has like any person coming of age to get outside their comfort zone and see the world and find love.
I do like from how the tale and performences are executed, despite predictable I actually found myself caring about what happens in the story and Snow herself hoping things will turn out right for her and get the life she deserves.
Overall, if your looking for some really good live action versions of the classic fairy tale, this vintage version is one to check out; just like the tale itself it's timeless.
Rating: 3 and a half stars
