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Snow White (1987)
Childhood Favorite
Let's get down to the meat of the review, shall we? I think we all know the story of Snow White well enough to skip the summary.
First, let's get the negative over with. Here are the movies bad points: 1: The King's fate. Snow White and her father were extremely close. The movie made an effort to point it out. Then Snow White begs the huntsman not to kill her, and she'll run away in the forest and never come back. The king is told his beloved daughter is dead, and is so heartbroken, he goes into battle, and dies. How unfair! Snow White should have come back and told her father of the queen's scheme, regardless of what she told the huntsman.
2: The 'extraordinary band of tiny little men', with the exception of Billy Barty. They weren't endearing, they just sort of all blended together into one dirty, annoying mass. They seemed more concerned about Snow White as a servant than a family member, and I never could remember who was who, due to the rhyming names. Plus, most of them had the personality of rocks.
3: The Queen's costumes! I only saw one that I half-way liked, and the rest were either blah or hideous. Don't even get me started on some of the headdresses! There were so many costume changes, I can't believe they couldn't impress me just once.
4: Some scenes dragged on too long, and some weren't even needed. Take for instance, Snow White's flight through the woods as a child. It just kept going and going, with no real action, except a confusing encounter with a wild dog, and could have been cut into half, at least. Even as a child, at the height of my fascination with fairy tales, I found the scene boring. There are a few others, but I think you get the idea.
On the plus side: 1: The adult Snow White, played by Sarah Patterson. Not only could I easily believe she was the fairest in the land, she had the character of Snow White down as well. Kind and innocent to a fault, as well as dignified and graceful, not to mention industrious and cheerful. There was a subtle sensual quality to her, a young woman on the verge of blooming.
2: The Prince. He didn't have a lot of air time, but the actor did a lot with it. Handsome and Verile, with a strong singing voice and a soulful quality, it's not hard to see why Snow White went off with him so quickly. Most of the time, I'm rolling my eyes when the prince declares his love, (even as a kid) but in this case, I just go: 'Awww.' 3: Snow White's parents. There was a natural, sweet chemistry between them, both of them fine actors. The king's grief upon her passing was heart wrenching. Usually, in fairy tales, life and death is a light matter, but the movie managed to convey the importance of such a final event without getting depressing.
4: The sets! From Snow White's lavish childhood bedroom, to the drawn's rustic, cozy cottage, there is nothing but top-notch quality. You believe you have been transported to this fairy tale world, and not once are you jarred from story moment.
Everything that I have not mentioned, falls into the average category.
I Do (But I Don't) (2004)
A More Enjoyable Version of "The Wedding Planner"
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this offering of Lifetime nearly as much as I did. Okay, it was far from original in plot, but these days, most things in entertainment are recycled to some extent. Admittedly, "I Do But I Don't" doesn't even try to disguise that it's heavily recycled, and I think the movie is better off for that unapologetic attitude. Otherwise it would just feel like movie plagiarism, instead of what it is. (Note Title) And if you saw the previews, you would have been able to guess it would be like the "The Wedding Planner" so you shouldn't be disappointed by that.
Almost all the characters feel real in this story. Good acting and a decent script is what accomplishes this, I think. Lauren (Denise Richards) character comes off as endearing and sympathetic, and I found myself rooting for her, even though I knew that everything would work out for her in the end. (They usually do in these kinds of movies.) Her leading man, Nick (Dean Cain) pulled of being the perfect guy without being nauseating. I thought their chemistry together was good enough to please, but not enough to thrill...which would have been nice, but not necessary. Lauren's friend and sister worked well in their role, and served their intended purpose. Lauren's mother was a bit domineering, but her intentions were pure, and when push came to shove, she could back her daughter up, and back off...so that relationship was both frustrating, and touching. As far as Darla went, her character is one that I changed my opinion about a few times in the movie, which offered the rare surprises in this movie, and kept up the pace.
One character that was handled badly was Lauren's ex-husband, Brad. He was too obviously a plot device to make Nick look better, and to create problems. He's so much of a jerk, you can't believe she'd ever be brain dead enough to be with him in the first place, nor does he seem to have any qualities that would mask, or compensate for his patronizing attitude of her, or how self-absorbed he is. It would have been much more interesting if the marriage falling apart hadn't been all his fault, and that although she was determined to go through with the divorce, there would be some lingering regret.
Also, the love scene between Lauren and Nick bothered me. It was very sweetly handled, and very tame. (An eight year old could watch it.) But despite that, it shouldn't have been in the movie. The two lovers barely know each other. What kind of message does that send? "Sleep with a man you barely know on your first date...and no harm done?" Besides, it would have been much more effective if they just kissed, and held hands, and got to know each other a bit more than they did. And no matter how sweet, the love scene had no real sizzle, it would have been just as well. (The dance scene between them was more erotic.)
But all in all, I really liked it. Despite it's predictable nature, it managed to stay fresh and charming, and I wouldn't mind seeing it again. It's rare for me to find something so unabashedly romantic that doesn't prompt gag reflexes.
8/10