The Secret Garden; Snow White

You've read the stories, seen the movies, now here are the...cartoons. Prepared to boo, hiss, and generally throw a critical tantrum, I was quite surprised to find that ABC Video's animated version of Frances Hodgson Burnett's children's classic The Secret Garden not only featured better-than-average animation, but also catchy songs, and a faithfulness to the darker aspects of Burnett's disturbing story. Featuring the voices of Honor Blackman, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Glynis Johns, The Secret Garden is the beloved story of a spoiled young girl named Mary Lennox who, following her parents' death from cholera in India, is shipped off to her reclusive uncle's residence in Britain. Here, Mary learns about a terrible tragedy which killed her aunt, sent her uncle into perpetual grieving, and reduced her cousin Colin into a sniveling invalid. Taking charge, Mary fights against a domineering housekeeper to nurse Colin back to health, all the time discovering the beauty and wonder of a secret garden. The housekeeper, Mrs. Medlock, is a bit more evil in this version (in keeping with cartoon mentality), but the addition of the animals who talk to Mary is seamlessly integrated into the main story without noticeably weakening it. This is not on a par with the beautifully lensed feature film The Secret Garden (Warner Home Video), but it is more accessible to younger children. Highly recommended. Ages 7-12.Releasing a new animated version of Snow White just as Disney's classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarves appears on video is probably smart marketing strategy, but why send out review copies? Sony Wonder should have just slunk off with their collective tails between their legs and quietly reaped the profits. It's not that the new cartoon is totally bad--the filmmakers have tried hard to make a film that doesn't directly infringe on Disney's copyright--it's just that this remake is so...unnecessary. Once again, the famed stepdaughter is plagued with an insecure and rather nasty stepmother who will stop at nothing to keep her title as the reigning Miss Fairy Tale Queen. Spared by the kindly woodcutter, Snow White goes undercover in the forest, where she's befriended by a group of short guys, all of whom are named Joe (obviously no "Dopey" or "Sneezy" here). After several murder attempts fail, Snow White finally takes the near fatal bite of apple, and goes into the big sleep. And then something truly incredible happens: a prince, who just happens to be riding by, approaches Snow White and she...coughs. Coughs? I had to rewind the tape. Where was the kiss? One of the greatest romantic denouements in all of literature reduced to a bit of expectorated apple chunk? This, of course, verges on sacrilege. Not recommended. Ages 4-8. (R. Pitman)