Hansel & Gretel (1987)

A favorite childhood movie

This movie was among my favorites as a child. The story contradicts the version known to most kids, but they serve a purpose and result in a well made movie. For instance, the stepmother in the Grimm story (although initially the mother until the change was made in later versions) is the real mother of Hansel and Gretel. In addition, the children are sent by their mother to pick berries, rather than banished to the woods so that the stepmother and father will have more to eat. Aside from these minor changes, however, the rest of the story remains intact.

Possibly the best decision made as far as production goes was putting the story to music. I am unfamiliar with the opera version of the story, but the songs fit the characters and the story, making it enjoyable and memorable.

As far as rating goes, amazon suggested this for children ages six and up. I would agree with this, but each parent should be able to judge in the case of their own child. When my sister first saw the movie (around the age of four), she had nightmares afterwards that a witch was living inside her closet. Certainly the supernatural elements are much more frightening than the idea of a mother sending her children from the house in search of food, when she realizes that they will not be able to safely find anything to eat.

I purchased two copies of this movie, one for my collection of favorites and another for a library I work at, and look forward to sharing the magic of this movie with the next generation. January 14, 2008

HAVE LOTS OF CANDY HANDY WHEN YOU WATCH THIS MOVIE TREAT

If the "Faerie Tale Theatre" version of "HANSEL AND GRETEL" is too dark, spooky, and scary for you and/or your children, this excellent Cannon Movie Tales version will be an entertaining alternative. This version is more directly inspired by Humperdink's operetta rather than the original Brothers Grimm story.
Hansel and Gretel (Hugh Pollard and Nicola Stapleton) have a biological mother (Emily Richard). She is not evil or wicked. She is merely harried because she and her family are on the brink of starvation. In desperation, she sends the children out into the woods to find berries to eat. When her husband (David Warner; "THE OMEN", "A CHRISTMAS CAROL") returns home with an unexpected bounty of food, she immediately realizes the mistake she has made and reacts with a mixture of panic and fear for the safety of the children.
Emmy and Oscar-winner Cloris Leachman is a hoot as the Witch who traps the kids in her delicious house of gingerbread and candy. At first, she comes across as a sweet, albeit grotesque-looking, Granny-type. But, shortly after midnight, Gretel discovers her true wicked witchy ways. After she is conquered, her gingerbread house explodes in a spectacular scene.
Be sure to have plenty of candy handy when you watch this movie. Like the classic 1971 "WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY", there are so many delectable desserts on visual display here, your mouth will water!! July 3, 2007

"This is how the world can be, all the children strong and free..."

The Cannon MovieTales version of HANSEL & GRETEL was one of the most ambitious in the series. It features a musical score freely-adapted from Engelbert Humperdinck's famed opera version of the Grimm Brothers tale.

Hansel (Hugh Pollard) and Gretel (Nicola Stapleton) live with their poverty-stricken parents on the edge of a dark and wild forest. One morning, the frazzled mother sends Hansel and Gretel out into the woods to find some food...any food. Pretty soon, the children are hopelessly lost; until they stumble across a life-sized candy house and an evil witch with a serious food craving!

This delightful version of the tale is a joy from start to finish; one of the all-time best from the nine Cannon MovieTales. Hugh Pollard and Nicola Stapleton are captivating in the title roles, whilst David Warner and Emily Richard add some much-needed gravity to the father and mother. Cloris Leachman steals every moment as the wicked witch Griselda, and she clearly loves playing the baddie.

The Cannon MovieTales were filmed, very economically, back-to-back in Israel between 1987-1989. The series has garnered a very strong fan following; mostly those who grew up seeing them on the Disney Channel. Happily most of the titles have now found their way to DVD (Puss in Boots, Beauty and the Beast, The Emperor's New Clothes, Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, and Snow White).

If you haven't seen this enchanting version of HANSEL & GRETEL, don't wait a second longer! (Single-sided, single-layer disc). June 29, 2007

cute version

I really enjoyed this version. I like this because this version has the mother caring about the kids where in the origional story the mother was cold and cruel. Cloris Leachman was classic as the witch. pretty good special effects. I cheered when gretal was able to get the magic stick and zap the witch into gingerbread and break the spell that was over the missing kids of the forest. You'll enjoy this movie if you like fairytales February 9, 2007

Hansel and Gretel

It was great to see that they have the Cannon Tales on DVD now! My daughter and I used to watch it together when she was an adolescent and now she is going to be a mother herself. I purchased this so that my grandchildren will be able to view the movies that their mother watched when she was little. Cloris Leachman steals the show in this one! January 9, 2007

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