Friday, September 16, 2016

Popcorn & Coffee: Hans Christian Andersen Double Feature


Mill Creek Ent.; Not Rated; 354 minutes; $14.98; Amazon

Now available on a 2-disc DVD set from Mill Creek Entertainment is the Hans Christian Andersen Double Feature, featuring the 2001 2-part mini-series Hans Christian Andersen: My Life As A Fairytale and the 2002 2-part mini-series Snow Queen.

Produced by Hallmark Entertainment, Robert Halmi, SR., and Robert Halmi, JR., Hans Christian Andersen: My Life As A Fairytale was directed by Phillip Saville. It stars Kieran Bew, Emily Hamilton, James Fox and Simon Callow.

The real Hans Christian Andersen created many fairy tale classics, such as The Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen, Princess And The Pea, The Ugly Duckling and The Emperor's New Clothes. The mini-series is a fictionalized biography starring Kieran Bew in the title role, where the viewers get a glimpse of author's younger years. At the same time, his fairy tale characters are weaved into the story.


Snow Queen is based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" and is produced once again by Robert Halmi, JR. and Hallmark Entertainment. Directed by David Hu, the film stars Jeremy Guilbaut, Chelsea Hobbs and Bridget Fonda.

The mini-series centers on a mysterious woman (aka the Snow Queen, played by Bridget Fonda) checking in at a hotel in a small town that is owned by Gerda's father. Before daybreak, the Snow Queen kidnaps Gerda's best friend, Kai (played by Jeremy Guilbaut), all because a piece of a mirror fell into his eye. Gerda (played by Chelsea Hobbs) takes it upon herself to track down the Snow Queen and rescue Kai.

A Quick Note: Snow Queen was Bridget Fonda's final appearance in a movie (well, a mini-series) before her retirement in 2002.


Final Thoughts: Television mini-series are mostly a thing of the past, though one does occasionally pops up on a cable channel. The good new is that many of old mini-series have been released on DVDs.

For some reason, I've taken a likening to classic fairy tales over the last few years, which is the main reason why I wanted to review the Hans Christian Andersen Double Feature. I had seen the Snow Queen when it originally aired in 2002, but I had never seen Christian Andersen: My Life As A Fairytale before.

Christian Andersen: My Life As A Fairytale is actually the better of the two titles. The acting is pretty decent, the special effects are good, and the story is entertaining.

Snow Queen is a loose adaptation of "The Snow Queen" story with many different changes. While the acting isn't that bad, the special effects aren't that great, especially with the laughable talking polar bear that is in love with the Snow Queen. The story has way too many plot-holes. Adults will be bored to death,  though kids might like watching it.

The picture quality of the Snow Queen isn't that great; a little snowy in several scenes. However, the picture quality for Christian Andersen: My Life As A Fairytale looks great. There are no special features or extras on the 2-disc set.

Overall, while the Hans Christian Andersen Double Feature isn't the greatest mini-series in the world, the DVD should appeal to many fairy tale fans.



I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.


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