Movie Info

Kids rule; stepmothers, witches, and boogeymen drool (quite literally) in this saucy retelling of the classic Grimm's fairy tale. It's night and the ...(read more...) kids are in bed, afraid of the dark. Searching for a favorite bedtime story, their modern-day dad--apparently widowed--finds a mysterious volume, dusts it off, and begins to read aloud. Ironically, this 90-minute tale is anything but soothing. Edgy characters abound, from the ax-wielding stepmother (played by Delta Burke with Miss Piggy flair), to a gun-toting wood fairie and a wicked witch (Lynn Redgrave) who nips from the bottle. Thanks to a rather effeminate Sandman (Howie Mandel channeling interior designer Christopher Lowell), the journey takes many wacky turns but ends on a happy note. Add to this wicked brew several spoonfuls of TV references and potty humor, and the result is a show that 8- to 12-year-olds will lap up. --Liane Thomas

Director: Gary J. Tunnicliffe

MPAA: PG

Running Time: 89 min.

Release Date: Oct 18, 2002

Cast: Taylor Momsen, Jacob Smith, Lynn Redgrave, Delta Burke, Gerald McRaney, Howie Mandel, Alana Austin, Dakota Fanning, Thomas Curtis, Sinbad, Tom Arnold