Happily N'Ever After 2 (2009)

Fresh and Exciting

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I forgot I hated Happily N'Ever After I. I forgot I hated the stupid creatures, Mambo and Munk. I forgot how bad the animation is. (Compared to other contemporary animations. Barbie is better... and that's much said.)But I'm glad I did, because "Another Bite @ the Apple" was better than the first one. In this, Snow White is a spoiled, vain, egocentric brat. She lost her good and kind mother when she was just a kid, and now her life is all party, fun and looks. Her father decides she needs a woman's touch, so he decides to remarry. There is this ugly girl who was told that the Queen was loved by everyone because she was beautiful, so she tried to be as beautiful as the queen had been. The Magic Mirror makes her that. She looks exactly like the Queen, and the King wants to marry her.Snow White isn't happy about it, and mopes, so Lady Vain gets an enchanted apple from the Mirror. She gets Snow White to eat the apple. The apple doesn't kill her, it makes her share her innermost thoughts. This Snow White has something nasty to say about everyone living in the town, and Lady Vain lets everyone know what Snow White thinks about them, and they get angry and Snow White flees from the town. (Remember, the apple didn't twist her mind, she really, truly thought that way.)She finds her way to the Seven Dwarfs, who remember well the Queen, and because of her they decide to teach Snow White a lesson, and they manage to make her change her shallow ways to being as good and kind as her mother had been. So she goes back to the town just in time to interrupt the wedding, and her father decides he doesn't need to marry anymore, now that Snow White has changed. Lady Vain gets ballistic and uses the mirror as a weapon.Earlier Snow White had met "Sir Peter", an orphan who grew up in one of Queen's orphanages, and who adores the Queen, and doesn't much appreciate Snow White. Now, that Snow White has changed her ways, Peter notices that he likes her after all. When Lady Vain starts shooting magic around, he jumps in to rescue Snow White, and is knocked out of the way. (and he stays knocked out!) Her father joins the battle but he is old, and is just about to fall, when Snow White joins him and steadies his hand. Together - even Mommy Queen gets to be part of the family union, as they use her picture to guide the magic flare - they break the mirror and Lady Vain is ugly again. They are just about to hang her, when Snow White interferes and tells her outer beauty is not worth much, it's only inner beauty that matters, and the dwarfs agree to teach her the same lesson they taught Snow White. Happy End.Now, it wasn't anything one will regret missing... it's more the other way around. One might regret seeing it... Especially if one paid to see it.It has a nice message - helping others is what makes you beautiful, not clothes and make-up and hairdo.Also, the villain, even though she tried to kill Snow White, is not evil, just misguided, and there's hope for her.Animation, as said, was pretty bad.The king is a poor version of the king in Disney's Sleeping Beauty, and he wears Burger King crown...The wedding is accompanied with Wagner's wedding march, the bride is wearing a white dress, and the priest reads the Christian wedding ceremony... I suppose people wouldn't know otherwise that it's a question of a wedding. And even though the prince... er... Sir Peter, the orphan, I meant, had to fetch Snow White to the wedding, and found her in the middle of the forest fixing Humpty Dumpty, and then they galloped back to the castle and had to get over hurdles to get to the church in time, Humpty Dumpty, and everyone else was in the church already... just in time to witness in favor of Snow White, when Lady Vain claimed she hadn't changed.But if you can ignore such small details, it's not a bad movie. It's not good either.

Happily N'Ever After 2 feels a little forced and slightly lame but I think I liked this one a little bit more than the original. Not because it was better but it was easier to watch. You can relate to the idea better and it seemed more believable. It follows a traditional fairytale format that works.By no means would I recommend you watch this movie but it's alright. There are many flaws that are still present including the awkward dialogue and slow-paced storyline. It still shocks me that a sequel was even made as it was never going to save the series' reputation. Just another movie that needs to stay in the bargain bin where it belongs.

Are you into fairy tales? This sequel of Happily N'Ever After (Happily N'EverAfter 2) takes a modern twist on the original version of Snow White. In this movie, Snow White is a teenage girl who likes to party and have fun, but does not fulfill her duty as a benevolent princess like her mom. Unfortunately her mom passes away due to sickness, so her dad tries to find a wife who can guide Snow White in the right direction. However, he ends up choosing a beautiful woman who has terrible intentions for Snow White. Can Snow White prevent their marriage and straighten her attitude as well?The idea of this movie is quite creative. Initially I thought this movie would be suited more for young children, but I actually found it a little amusing since some of the characters are teenagers who reminded me a bit of my friends. The movie also conveys positive messages, such as true beauty comes from within. I recommend this movie to kids 7 and up. The animation of the movie is simple, so the facial expressions of the animated characters are easy to comprehend. In addition, the storyline is not complex. Reviewed by Gabriella Chu, age 15, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

Such a children's piece like this shouldn't be judged like an intricate masterpiece, but instead, like the nursery rhymes and short stories that we were all used to while growing up. Straight to the point and in a clever way so as to remember the message we are supposed to come away with. This movie is exactly what I was hoping it to be, a cute story that will repeat and three-peat a message that I think so many of our children are not understanding. Such gossip trash and vanity importance should be looked down upon and not taught to our youth. The importance of helping others and being true to yourself is a huge part of life and this movie helps to reiterate such life lessons. This movie is meant for our youth and it's straight to the point. Don't over think this movie and if you are, it's not meant for you.