felicity-fairy

To be fair, I have thought a lot of this movie and found the conclusion that Disney does neither understand the old animated movies nor the original fairy tales.

If you do a twisted fairy tale movie, okay all right, then use a different name, as was done with Frozen or Tangled or "Mirror, Mirror" and whatever. Of course, Disney movies are always different, but there is a high responsibility as they are regarded as cultural representation, and as a German, I really want to talk about this controversy. All right, if you need to change the back story of the name Snow White, why not simply introduce a real name. Dwarfs in fairy tales are of course not the same as people with dwarfism, and so the CGI idea with also introducing a human actor with dwarfism (with even a heroic task) could have worked, but removing simply the word dwarf does not help. How odd, as usually Disney is so careful of historical accuracy, there is silence about the obvious German connotations of both 1937 movie and the original tale. Although the love story with a guy called Jonathan is more contemporary elaborated than the insta-meet-cute with her prince, it can not evoke the same emotions as the 1937 movie. CGI animals are cute, but seriously? Snow was already in 1937 a leading lady and strong character, but Walt Disney decided to focus on a decision for love instead of power or ambition, so the political-moral connotations in this new movie are rather more backwarded than they actually are thinking. Although going the safe way with keeping definitely surprisingly many things intact from the 1937 movie, even with an old-fashioned fairy tale book opening and taking something from Cinderella live action - with amazing brightness and cheerfulness, it soon goes away from the old story into a world of reimagining. It makes me think of "Mirror, Mirror" with touch of the Disney Robin Hood and Tangled movies (and a bit of the German Simsala Grimm Schneewittchen version!), yet failing to showcase the kindness Snowy is constantly talking about. There could have made better use of the original tales (Brothers Grimm, but also tradition of Ludwig Bechstein, Johann Musäus and Ludwig Albert Grimm). Never much exploring the original characters, but somehow throwing in Jonathan's seven bandits as MIRRORED version to the dwarfs (these were the first version leaked, which turns out not to be the 7 "dwarfs",which is a good attempt to keep up a mirror structure of the main Disney couple), but so random named (Bingley?? Norwich??? Why???). Anyway, the music is charming, but reminds with "let go, let glow" too much of you know what I mean, also such like a reminiscence "Waiting on a Miracle" from Encanto. The spectacular musical scenes are very good, but a big contrast to the quiet cottage-core feeling of the 1937 movie In fact, it's a twisted remix, just like a rock/pop version of a music piece by Mozart. It might be worth as an idea offering enjoyable moments and tunes, but considering it as improvement is insane. Just like Enchanted was already a reimagining of Snow White, this is also another one and should be called in my opinion perhaps "Mirrored". An interesting advertisement campaign for the old movie and related products through reverse psychology. Particularly, too many mixed ideas. "Strong independent" - but princess -, still not as daring as in Mirror, Mirror, here in a child costume advertisement spot, and let's not forget that girl empowerment does not work this way with an anachronistic understanding of monarchy (Disney Queen franchise?), and let us simply dream, not be lessoned...

To start with, it's not any random story, it's not even only a book series adaption, it's based on the author's real experiences as geek discovered as model. I really love all six book installments, including the three specials, it's my favorite book series.

I only got access to Netflix to watch this adaption. It's here only based on book 1, a book I know by heart. But they also used some ideas and characters from all later installments.

It's definitely aimed for a young audience, reminding me of my favorite teen romance comedy movies, such like Monte Carlo, Never been kissed or Cinderella Story. It's definitely a Cinderella Story, a fashion fairy tale. Harriet's journey to try to make her life better, with some unexpected magic from a "fashion fairy godmother", a beautiful dress, a prince Charming, but still on a journey to discover herself and to love herself. Somehow this adaption feels in comparison to the book like the Disney Cinderella live action remake in comparison to the 1950 animated movie. There's more complexity, more drama, more romance, yet, to be honest, it's definitely not literally the book (I understand some changes, some less...). For fans, there are lovely references and it's so nice that Holly Smale, the original novel author, was co-author of this series, Certainly, the book was not easily to be turned to movie, much with inner reflection, here seen as a kind of voiceover.

Of course, it's a fairy tale and sometimes we all need fairy tales, and so you should have not wrong expectations from the show.

The Netflix series manages to be as hilarious, joyful, positive and manages to illustrate some key ideas, yet, they put a bit too much "Disney magic" and "Cinderella Story" in the "ugly duckling" transformation story, whereas the book series is more private and cozy than dazzling, more bittersweet than saccharine, more edgy than smooth, more thoughtful and quiet than spectacular, more thoughtful and hitting emotionally harder (such like a Maleficent/Scar level villian school bullyAlexa had downgraded to a wicked stepsister vibes Lexie). Such like I also feel with the mentioned Disney live action remake adaption vs original one. Somehow the book series is more quirky, with Harriet being bubbly or sometimes more grumpy etc.. Some ideas can perhaps better to grab as presented here casually on screen...but even if if feels like Einstein hired as elementary school teacher, this is a joyful, feel-good introduction, but of course, not thr full genius.