Customer Reviews
A favorite childhood movie 
2008-01-14
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.
HAVE LOTS OF CANDY HANDY WHEN YOU WATCH THIS MOVIE TREAT 2007-07-03
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!!
"This is how the world can be, all the children strong and free..." 
2007-06-29
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).
cute version 2007-02-09
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
Hansel and Gretel 2007-01-09
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!
Awsome! 2006-11-11
Oscar® winner* Cloris Leachman (Herbie Goes Bananas) stars as the evil wart-plagued witch Griselda in this enchanting live-action version of the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tale about two siblings who wander into the forest against their parents' orders. Featuring singing dancing and a larger-than-life house built entirely of cookies and candy this delightful film is a sweet treat for the entire family!When Hansel (Hugh Pollard) and Gretel (Nicola Stapleton) get lost in the forbidden forest after their trail of bread crumbs disappears they come upon an enticing gingerbread cottage. The problem is it's inhabited by a witch! As Griselda plots to keep them there forever through hocus-pocus magic the quick-witted siblings must figure out how to avoid becoming her next dessert!System Requirements:Running Time 86 MinsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR UPC: 027616927408 Manufacturer No: 1008749
Fairy Tale with a Witch with personality. 2006-08-19
A boy and girl, lost in the woods, come upon a gingerbread house of a wicked witch who is in disguise, who eats children. The witch's intent later revealed may be scary for younger children, which is unavoidable in a story of a witch who eats children. It was not scary for me. If you let your children watch television, this would not be scary in comparison.
I read that stories like this were told to children in Europe in the early 1800's and before, to keep them from wandering into the woods, in those days when large packs of wolves roamed the forests, in packs as large as a 100 wolves or more, in an age without guns, through the age of the one shot flint-lock rifle (hundreds of years). A wolf pack will circle their prey and attack simultaneously from all sides.
The witch's house is interesting, showing some creativity. The witch has a lot of personality. A low budget forest. I enjoyed it.
Sweet AND Scary! 2006-05-20
Screen faves David Warner and Cloris Leachman turn out for this amazing rendition of the classic Grimm fairy tale, "Hansel and Gretel," greatly influenced by the renowned operatic version. The tale is that of two poor, near starving German peasant children, Hansel and Gretel, who live in the woods with their bitter mother and woodcutter father (Warner). Cast out one day by their mother for wasting what little food they had, Hansel and Gretel wander far into the forest in search of berries to redeem themselves at home. The small children leave a trail of breadcrumbs to find their way back, but these are quickly eaten by the birds, and the children soon become lost. The next morning, as their parents search for them unsuccessfully, Hansel and Gretel come to a little cottage in the forest made entirely of gingerbread and candy. The two are thrilled and quickly begin eating when they are interrupted by the lady of the house, an ugly old woman named Griselda who seems quite sweet and eager to feed the waifish pair. However, later that night in the gingerbread house, Gretel discovers the truth about Grandmother Griselda. She is actually a witch with wicked plans to devour the children! The next day, Gretel finds herself the slave of the old witch, as they work hour after hour in Griselda's kitchen cooking up cakes, pies, and other goodies with which to fatten up poor little Hansel!
"Hansel and Gretel" sits among the best of the nine wonderful Cannon Movie Tales, which are among the best live-action fairy tale films available to date. Sticking more closely to the original stories than the usual fare, "Hansel and Gretel" and the other Cannon tales mix in simple but fun-filled songs with fantastic casts and writing that blends realism and fantasy seamlessly. "Hansel and Gretel" is a particularly sweet and simple entry into the Movie Tale film series, but Cloris Leachman (and her wonderful musical number) brings a scary yet humorous bite! It's so terrific that these childhood favorites many of us remember from the Disney Channel's 1980's and early 90's glory are finally available on DVD (most of them at least). The DVDs include trailers (not sure if these films ran anywhere theatrically), and most (including Hansel and Gretel) are presented in fullscreen format. The Cannon Movie Tales are mostly family fun, though be warned that some can have their scary moments (for example, "Red Riding Hood," my favorite, is done as a werewolf story that at times may be a bit frightening). The other Cannon Movie Tales, all of which I highly recommend, are: Rumpelstiltskin, The Emperor's New Clothes, Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Puss In Boots (starring Christopher Walken!), Beauty and the Beast, The Frog Prince, and Sleeping Beauty. Those last two have not yet been released to DVD, and I have yet to see Rumpelstiltskin at any retail stores, though Amazon seems to carry it. I wish to get them all, but currently only own my favorites: Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Puss In Boots, and Hansel and Gretel. Fairy tale fanatics should own all these films, and I also highly recommend my top favorites, the Disney animated versions. Also, for a scarier version of Snow White, pick up the outstanding, "Snow White: A Tale of Terror," starring the beautiful Monica Keena. More recommendations: Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre collection (also best known from the Disney Channel airings), Shrek and Shrek 2, The Slipper and the Rose (for a live-action Cinderella), Ever After (another live-action Cinderella), The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996), Peter Pan (2003), The Wizard of Oz, Return to Oz, and Rodger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1965) among others!
Worst Semi-Musical EVER! 
2006-04-16
There were two things that I really hated about this movie: the music and the forest. I'm not sure where they shot this movie, but the trees looked like they were most likely eucalyptus trees. You'd think they could have at least found a nice dark forest somewhere that would be reminiscent of the dark woods you'd expect in this sort of tale. The poor selection of filming locations might be over-looked, but the incredibly banal music was just unforgivable! I talked to a couple of young kids after they'd watched this movie and they very adamantly insisted that it was a terrible movie. In general I'd say that this movie was on the verge of being amateurish (despite the presense of well-known actors) except that someone did a nice job building the gingerbread house. If it weren't for that element of the movie, I'd rate it at zero stars instead of one star! (NOTE: The child actors did a fine job performing their roles and it is not at all their fault that the movie is so lame!)
An Amazing Hansel and Gretel 2006-03-02
This has to be the finest version of Hansel and Gretel. I
love the opera version and am glad to see it as a movie. It was
a new way to show the story.
