SPOILERS within--be warned.
Okay, y'know how you sometimes hear from people "This movie is horrible. It's so bad it's funny!"? I never really understood what that meant until I saw this telefilm. This was broadcast in 2001 but it was filmed in 2000 (I think) because it was supposed to be Kreuk's very first starring role. There are some familiar bit players as dwarfs and wannabe dwarfs, but the only serious player in the whole company is Miranda Richardson. Suffice it to say, everyone took a break but managed to collect a paycheck. The script is absolutely horrible, the key to what's wrong with everything else. Nobody gives a quality performance and none of the characters are even likable. Richardson can't save the project on her own and this is Kreuk giving her most bland, raw delivery--and that's saying something.
I have no clue where they got the idea to make Snow White's father an ordinary man who was made into a prince by a jinn (a rather demonic Western genie who looked like he'd have been more at home on an episode of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) or why they made the wicked Queen a hag sister of the jinn who spent her days turning unsuspecting dwarfs into lawn figurines, but really just wanted to be beautiful and adored. However, it was very jarring, silly, and unconvincing. Also, the character of Snow White rails at being labeled beautiful but is trapped and suffocated by what amounts to an enchanted shawl while doing chores in the forest because it catches her eye and she comments "How beautiful!"
There is only one scene in this mess which is absolutely priceless. Richardson's wicked Queen, having disposed of Snow White through the suffocating shawl--or whatever it's supposed to be, retreats to her room of wall-to-wall magic mirrors and with the source-mirror in her hand asks a variation on her famous question
"Mirror, mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?"
She's asked the wall question twice (that we've been shown) and been given two answers. The mirrors illustrate each answer so that if things work out the way she wants them to, she'll be surrounded by sentient reflections of herself gesturing, smiling adoringly, and saying "You are" over and over again--quite the booster for her fragile ego. When Snow White outshone her, she was instead surrounded by magic reflections of Snow White repeating "I am."
What's funny about this scene is, after a hard day's work of evil magic to get rid of her rival, the Queen reclines and asks the mirror in her hand (the source-mirror) the famous question, and a living reflection of Snow White pops out of the mirror--says "I am" and gives the Queen a quick kiss on the mouth before disappearing back into the mirror. The Queen shrieks in horror, rage, and agony--the emotions I felt as I sat through this telefilm.
Okay, y'know how you sometimes hear from people "This movie is horrible. It's so bad it's funny!"? I never really understood what that meant until I saw this telefilm. This was broadcast in 2001 but it was filmed in 2000 (I think) because it was supposed to be Kreuk's very first starring role. There are some familiar bit players as dwarfs and wannabe dwarfs, but the only serious player in the whole company is Miranda Richardson. Suffice it to say, everyone took a break but managed to collect a paycheck. The script is absolutely horrible, the key to what's wrong with everything else. Nobody gives a quality performance and none of the characters are even likable. Richardson can't save the project on her own and this is Kreuk giving her most bland, raw delivery--and that's saying something.
I have no clue where they got the idea to make Snow White's father an ordinary man who was made into a prince by a jinn (a rather demonic Western genie who looked like he'd have been more at home on an episode of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) or why they made the wicked Queen a hag sister of the jinn who spent her days turning unsuspecting dwarfs into lawn figurines, but really just wanted to be beautiful and adored. However, it was very jarring, silly, and unconvincing. Also, the character of Snow White rails at being labeled beautiful but is trapped and suffocated by what amounts to an enchanted shawl while doing chores in the forest because it catches her eye and she comments "How beautiful!"
There is only one scene in this mess which is absolutely priceless. Richardson's wicked Queen, having disposed of Snow White through the suffocating shawl--or whatever it's supposed to be, retreats to her room of wall-to-wall magic mirrors and with the source-mirror in her hand asks a variation on her famous question
"Mirror, mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?"
She's asked the wall question twice (that we've been shown) and been given two answers. The mirrors illustrate each answer so that if things work out the way she wants them to, she'll be surrounded by sentient reflections of herself gesturing, smiling adoringly, and saying "You are" over and over again--quite the booster for her fragile ego. When Snow White outshone her, she was instead surrounded by magic reflections of Snow White repeating "I am."
What's funny about this scene is, after a hard day's work of evil magic to get rid of her rival, the Queen reclines and asks the mirror in her hand (the source-mirror) the famous question, and a living reflection of Snow White pops out of the mirror--says "I am" and gives the Queen a quick kiss on the mouth before disappearing back into the mirror. The Queen shrieks in horror, rage, and agony--the emotions I felt as I sat through this telefilm.