Amazon.com
This installment in HBO's
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child series shifts the familiar Grimm story to Latin America. Instead of asking, "Nibble, nibble like a mouse, who's been nibbling at my house?" the Witch says, "Qué pasa, qué pasa, someone's nibbling on my casa!" The half-hour show boasts simple, appealing character designs with dark skin and black hair, and bright watercolor backgrounds. Voice actors Christopher Montoya and Chrissy Padilla make Hanselito and Gretelita appealing, resourceful children: When they're caught by the Witch, Hanselito offers to work to pay for what they've eaten off her house. Rosie Perez clearly enjoys herself as the Witch, "Susannah from Havana," half-speaking, half-singing a mixture of English and Spanish. Her mini-production number with Tito Larriva is the high point of the story. The filmmakers don't shy away from the ending: Gretelita shoves the Witch into the oven. But it's done in a comic way that removes any feeling of violence. The animation and Liz Torres's vocal performance are so over the top, the Stepmother feels nastier than the Witch. But small children are more likely to focus on the bright colors and upbeat song than on nuances of character. (Ages 5 and older)
--Charles Solomon
