Cinema Saturday [Snow White Takes Over]

Cinderella has always been one of my favorite movies - the Disney version with the singing birds, the fairy godmother, the pumpkin carriage and, of course, Jaq and Gus Gus. I love it.

But, lately, Snow White's been giving Cinderella a run for her money . . . Or should I say, crown?

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Mirror Mirror was a pretty fantastic re-imagining of the classic tale. In this 2012 film, with Julia Roberts and Lily Collins, Snow White wasn't the weak, helpless young girl waiting on her knight anymore. (See my Cinema Saturday post I did back in June on it.) I loved the movie as well as the fresh spin it put on things while still keeping the key parts of the story we all know so well intact.

It wasn't quite enough to sway me over to loving Snow White the most, though.

Then came Snow White and the Huntsman.

So very different from both Mirror Mirror - which I had wondered about with their releases just a few months apart - and previous Snow White tellings, Snow White and the Huntsman is its own bit of amazing. (See a post I did on it here.)

Like in Mirror Mirror Snow White isn't a helpless girl who is sent away, waits around in an apple induced coma for her prince, is kissed and then lives happily ever after. There's much more to both the story as a whole and Snow White's (played by Kristen Stewart in this movie) character.

Charlize Theron plays the evil queen in SWatH and she's quite evil. Dark, evil and so much fun.

The movie itself is much darker and more adult than Mirror Mirror and, definitely, than the Disney Snow White film. Promo stills of Kristen Stewart really help define the mood for this film and this Snow White.

I love this new brand of fairy tale. The old parts that we love, that have made these such classics that have stuck around and helped them stand the test of time, are still there, with small re-imaginings. Then, the things that were, perhaps, making the stories a bit dated have been altered. While I wouldn't go so far as to call these 'feminist' Snow White stories, they have given the female characters - Snow White and others - more 'oomph.' They're stronger, tougher characters, less in need of a prince to save them. They're not the damsel in distress throughout the whole store, yet it still works as a great fairytale.

Between Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman, Snow White's gotten herself some great modern day advocates and you should really check out either one or both of these films!