Now on DVD: Hansel & Gretel

I'm always on the lookout for movies my wife and I can watch with our daughter; films that are suitable for her but adult enough where we aren't getting bored watching them.

The other day, I came across the 2002 movie Hansel & Gretel and, after reading the description; I decided to give it a try.

What attracted me to this movie was the surprisingly long list of recognizable actors and actresses; Delta Burke, Tom Arnold, Howie Mandel, Bobcat Goldthwait, Sinbad and Dakota Fanning to name a few. I figured, with a list like that, this famous fairy tale couldn't help but be good.

And, for the most part, I was right.

The two kids who played Hansel and Gretel were a bit forgettable. But, Howie Mandel is fantastic as the Sandman. It has been years since I saw one of his old stand up comedy routines and I forgot how funny he was. His character seemed like a cross between Pee Wee Herman (or maybe Steve Urkel) and Bobby Boucher (Adam Sandler's character from the Waterboy). In fact, I'm not sure the movie would have been the same without him.

And, I also have to take my hat off to Delta Burke who made a fantastic evil stepmother and Dakota Fanning who was very likeable as the daughter who seemed to be afraid of everything.

The movie does have a PG rating and I will warn parents it might not be suitable for younger kids. This is both because there are some scenes that are a bit intense (especially when they are in the witch's house) and because there are subtle sexual references.

The film also might have a few too many minor characters in it. While I liked the addition of the Sandman and the Wood Fairy (Alana Austin), the scenes with the boogey man (Arnold) and Troll (Goldthwait) did little to add to the overall plot and dragged things out a bit. The movie would have been a lot better without them.

Final opinion: This film was a pleasant surprise. It could have been better with some minor revisions but turned out to be a good movie for the entire family.

Average Netflix Grade: 3.1 stars out of a possible 5.

My Grade: 3 stars.