Gummi Bears (1985-1990)

The Gummi Bears live in a magical world with people and evil magicians throughout the story. For the most part they stay out of the way of humans, but they have two human friends, Calvin and Princess Calla. The other main human in the group is Duke Igthorn, the main villain of the piece. Igthorn is always trying to find the secret of the Gummi Bear juice and develops several evil plans to try and get it. He always fails however J. A fun show and a small piece of my childhood.

The Guardians of Gahoole

The Capture by Kathryn Lasky

The book tells the story of Soren who is captured by the mysterious St. Aggie’s school who tries to brainwash young owls into brainwashed soldiers. Soren and his friend Gylfie resist these techniques and make plans to escape and find the ancient order of the Guardians of Gahoole. It takes place in a world where humans have long since disappeared and animals now rule the world.

The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Gahoole (2010)

The movie takes the first three books in the series for its plot. They actually  do a fairly decent job with a cohesive story line. It was enjoyable movie that I actually watched before reading the book series.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

One Hundred and One Dalmatians is one of Disney’s best movies. It tells the story of Pongo and Perdita, two Dalmatians that must save their fifteen puppies from the evil Cruella Deville who wants to use them, along with 84 other puppies, to make a fur coat. The story mostly consists of the Pongos getting their puppies back and then returning to London to their owners, Roger and Anita. It also has one of the best villain songs Disney has ever written. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcdQk7JBPzQ

I also love the twilight bark where all of London starts spreading the news of the missing puppies. I love it so much!

Snow White

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by the Brothers Grimm

I really think Snow White could win the prize as the dumbest princess on the face of the planet. She is also a spoiled little brat that never listens to what she is told. The dwarfs specifically tell her not to open the door because the Evil Queen has many ways of disguising herself, and what does Snow do? She opens the door because this sweet little old lady could never harm me. In the original story, Snow gets poisoned  several times before that final apple. Then she doesn’t magically come back to life with the kiss of the prince, but has to wait until one of his servants jars it out of her throat. I still enjoy the story even if Snow is a doofus.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

I really have to be in the mood for this first full length animated feature. Snow White’s voice really gets on my nerves. But all in all it is genius and I enjoy the story.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

In this version, Snow White is not really that pretty until she drinks a magic potion. The story is good though, as is most of Levine’s stories. It is also enjoyable because Snow (who in this verison is named Aza) actually is very intelligent and has a beautiful singing voice. She is just told constantly that she is ugly and has come to beleive it. It is only when a handsome prince comes along that sees her true beauty can she find happiness.

Snow White: The Fairest of Them All (2001)

Kind of a toss up between Snow White and the Snow Queen. The Evil Queen’s Mirror seems to be the same one that the Snow Queen owns. Other than that it follows the same story line. It really is a good version of the story.

Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997)

This one is a little more on the horror side with Sigourney Weaver as the evil queen set on killing Snow, the king, and anyone who gets in her way.

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

So Kristen Stewart is awful in this movie and is by no means “fairer” than Charlize Theron. Watch it for everyone else. One thing that does bug me is that we have Snow reciting the Lord’s Prayer to show how pure she is, then God is never mentioned again in the entire story. In fact we have an encounter in Faerie with some sort of weird Pagan god. I don’t know.

Mirror, Mirror (2012)

Same year, but a much more comedic take on the tale. Funny and enjoyable and again Snow isn’t a total idiot.

Thumbelina (1994)

Thumbelina is based off of one of the few Hans Christian Anderson tales I like in its original format. So many times Anderson writes such bittersweet stories, but this one actually has a happy ending.

This particular movie adaptation begins with Thumbelina and her mother. Thumbelina has grown out of a flower given to Mother by a fairy. She soon meets the fairy prince, and since this is a fairy tale, fall in love at first sight. Unfortunately an ugly toad also falls in love with Thumbelina and kidnaps her. Thumbelina manages to escape and then makes the long and difficult journey back to her mother and her prince. In the meantime Prince Cornelius is also looking for her. It is a fun story worthy of any fairy tale princess lover.

Medea by Kerry Greenwood

Medea by Kerry Greenwood takes the ancient stories of Jason and the Argonauts and its sequal Medea and breathes new life into the story. Here in Greenwood’s book we meet a girl who is misunderstood more than anything else. She is not the evil creature that Eurpidies portrays in his own version of the tale. We see a woman, a priestess of Hecate, who gives up her vocation and everything she knows for the love of the wrong man. We see Jason as the supreme jerk he is and watch as Medea does eventually get her happily ever after. The book is a good example of someone taking an ancient story and showing a different side of the story.

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

East of the Sun and West of the Moon is one of my favorite fairy tales. It is a Norwegian tale very similar to Beauty and the Beast where a huge polar bear appears to a poor merchant and says that he will spare their family if they give him the youngest daughter. The daughter goes to live with the polar bear in his castle and they spend many happy months together. But there are rules in this castle and when the girl viloates them, the witch that originally cursed the polar bear spirits him away. The girl must then go “east of the sun and west of the moon” to regain her true love. I love this fairy tale because the girl actually has to find and save the prince, so a very good story.