Gerda misses her friend Kay
The Snow Queen's palace
The Snow Queen becomes almost a tone poem, as Joyce's music tells the story of Gerda, who must journey to the dangerous and forbidden castle of the Snow Queen (Tiffany Amber Knight), who has kidnapped her best friend Kay (Pax Baldwin). White and Stevenson return for the film version; White plays Gerda, and Stevenson her mother. Patrick Stewart (X-Men, The Canterville Ghost, Star Trek: The Next Generation) joins the cast as a talking raven who helps guide Gerda on her adventure. There is minimal dialog throughout, with the music and the acting telling the story. The Snow Queen, with its running time of 56 minutes, has the feeling of an animated film, even though it is populated with real actors. The live-action scenes were all filmed in bluescreen, and the CGI fanciful and painterly sets and backgrounds added later. A disc extra about the making of The Snow Queen features the film cast and crew talking about the logistical challenges of blue screen and how they brought the fairytale to life. The other extra, besides the behind-the-scenes featurette included on the disc, is a Blue Peter short film about Hans Christian Andersen’s life.
The Snow Queen should be perfect viewing for a cold winter's night, with Gerda's girl-power quest and lovely soprano voice taking viewers on a fanciful adventure. Parents may even get more out of this highly stylized version of a beloved fairytale than their children, and be the ones who opt for repeat viewings.
Originally published on Blogcritics: DVD Review: ‘The Snow Queen’
