SEVENTH DWARF Comes Up Short

Marrying up the fairy tales of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, THE SEVENTH DWARF comes up short in story and in film quality, coming nowhere near the levels set by HOODWINKED or the SHREK franchise.

The scene is the 18th birthday party for Princess Rose (Peyton List). It's more than your average big deal, because it marks the day the princess can take off all her armor, which she's been forced to wear since she was born, having been cursed to sleep for 100 years if she were to prick her finger. But the evil witch, Dellamorta, is determined to bring her curse to fruition, and put Rose in a slumber that only the kiss of true love can dispel.

Rose's true love is already known to the audience, in the form of Jack, the kitchen boy. When Dellamorta learns of this relationship, she makes certain to put him out of the way. So when the deed ultimately comes to pass, it's up to the seven dwarfs -- Tschakko, Cloudy, Sunny, Cooky, Speedy, Ralphy and Bobo -- to embark on an adventure to find Jack and return him to the castle. They only have to overcome giant obstacles and Dellamorta's lackey, Burner the Dragon (Norm Macdonald). Will they succeed? That all depends on whether Bobo, the titular seventh dwarf, can learn to tie his shoes. No, really.

Adding insult to fairytale injury, this film is also a musical, with some of the clunkiest, if well-meaning, tunes ever set to animation. When Dellamorta (voiced by Nina Hagen) dances around the sleeping King in his sleeping court, singing "Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold," I kept thinking she was going to break out into a version of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN's "He Vas My Boyfriend." However, if you end up liking the songs, the DVD includes sing-along versions of both "Cake" and "Friend."

Other bonuses on this release include interview clips with Peyton List and Norm Macdonald in the recording studio, asked about their favorite fairy tales, and a PDF birthday invitation that can be retrieved using your personal computer.