Hansel and Gretel

Ok, I own 300 movies of my own and I am 14! So what does that tell you? I have seen a lot of versions of Hansel and Gretel, but I must say that I like this one a lot. It is different from the everyday story that you hear. That is what makes it interesting. I like this a lot. I think that the actors/actresses did their parts very well!! This is a movie that is good for the whole family to see!! Well, that's it.

When I was a child,"Hansel And Gretel" used to scare me to death,particularly the bone the unfortunate boy showed to the witch.

The Grimm brothers ' widely known fairy tale has undergone some changes and,as far as the parents are concerned ,for the best.David Warner portrays a meek woodcutter who seems a little under her wife 's (Emily Richard)thumb who has sometimes cruel words -but the fairy tales are often cruel- when she tells her children going to bed that they should not awake .

The fairy tale revolves round a familiar topic: the fear of starving ,which was not only in fairy tales ("Tom Thumb " is another example ,which shows analogies with "H and G" :the candies ,cannibalism).

In this food shortage ,all is temptation:on a small scale ,the baker's shop,and on a larger one,the witch's house.But too much pastry and sweets makes you sick.

The second part is ,IMHO,less successful: the children remain true to form ,but I do think that Cloris Leachman overacts and makes her character more ludicrous than really scary .Enough is enough!The same can be said of the final "fireworks".

All and all ,it is an enjoyable show for the whole family.

Two very interesting variations on the same theme (strictly for adults and teenagers):

"Whoever slew Auntie Roo?"(1971) Curtis Harrington.

"Les Amants Criminels " (1999) François Ozon.

This is another of the beautiful Cannon Movie Tales,that aired on the Disney Channel starting in the late 80's and on ito mid-90's.This one is beautifully photographed.The songs are adapted from the opera so they are not new but are still beautiful.I saw this at about 7:00 on a Friday night on The Disney Channel.I fell in love with it and could not find it anywhere.Luckely,Amazon had a copy.It has not lost its charm.Cloris Leachman is the most evil witch ever filmed.She gave me the creeps.This film is ideal for family viewing.Little children will be frightened so make shure you are there for a person to lean on.

I watched this film when I was about 6 or 7 and absolutely loved it. I used to rent it along with two other films from the same company, Puss in Boots and Snow White. When I was about 11 the video shop closed down and since then I have been searching for this film. I can still remember the words to the songs and I am now 21! Finally I have found a copy of it and cannot wait til I get it. I'm sure my son will enjoy it as much now as I did then. It is well recommended for children of all ages, although some children may find the witch a little frightening, it just depends on the child. It is a hard film to find but I would recommend looking for it and the other titles I mentioned earlier, it will be a well loved film for children and for adults!

"Hansel And Gretel" is the best 'movie tale' Cannon Films produced. This version of the story is taken from the Hunperdinck opera, but its's still a recognizable rendition. The cast is fine, Hugh Pollard as Hansel, Nicola Stapleton as Gretel, David Warner and Emily Richard as the parents. But the REAL treat here is Cloris Leachman, as Grizelda, the Witch. This veteran actress is simply terrific, whether coaxing the children inside her gingerbread house, or threatening them with death. She also sings well, something she has rarely done in films. The production is tasteful, as are the new songs, adapted from the opera. A bit tense at times for young kids, "Hansel And Gretel" is nevertheless, a classic!