jesssfrankel

This was an awful film, poorly directed, with ridiculous CGI, bad hairdos, and a message of Rebel, People, you have nothing to lose but your careers!

We all know the story of Snow White, but here, we get a revisionist version of the fair Snow, with Rachel Zeglar, Lord Farquard hairstyle and all, leading her people to reclaim what they think is rightfully theirs. Yes, she sings--I have to admit, she's got a decent voice--but that's the only semi-high point of this flick.

Gal Gadot as the evil queen is gorgeous, and even though she's much older than Zeglar, she outshines her in the looks department. Too bad she can't sing--at all--and her acting is, well, like her voice--flat. This must've been a nice paycheck for her.

The direction is also scattershot, the songs and dances are off to this viewer, and I lost track of how many times Zeglar says, "My father." Lady, I don't care!

Also, the film drags in the middle. It should've been the second most exciting part that leads to the showdown, but all I saw were CGI characters, listened to dull dialogue...in short, it was torture for me.

I can't blame Zeglar entirely for this mess, even though she trashed the fllm before anyone else did. For me, the screenwriters bear the responsibility of taking a children's classic and basically ruining it. A lot of critics and fans called this movie 'woke'.

No, I have another name for it.

Bad.

Take Patrick Swayze--RIP--an actor known for action roles, Wesley Snipes, another great action star, and John Leguizamo, an actor of great versatility, ask them to play against type, and what do you get?

Three great drag queens. As drag queens seeking fame and fortune in LA, and finding out more about themselves in a little town halfway to LA, their performances are nothing short of astonishing.

To be honest, I never expected Swayze to pull it off. Same deal with Snipes, as both men were/are noted for testosterone-driven films, not estrogen-driven ones. But they succeed by literally becoming their personas.

Leguizamo's performance is equally amazing as the hapless Chi Chi Rodriguez. He displays humor and vulnerability in equal measures, and makes his character real.

However, the film does have its weaknesses. For one, the plot is highly predictable. As well, the film doesn't go into great discussions about sex or orientation or why you never see the 'girls' in anything else except women's clothes. It's like the filmmakers didn't want to offend anyone while simultaneously trying to enlighten everyone.

The late Chris Penn as an officer of the law--and a bigoted one at that--is good, but the way he's knocked out in the early scenes just doesn't work. Neither does his monologue in the bar about manly men, although it was amusing...but there was no punchline.

Still, the film, for all its weaknesses, succeeds in showcasing the talents of Swayze, Snipes, and Leguizamo, and it takes a brave actor to deliberately play against type AND succeed in doing so. That is the film's greatest strength.

Oh, and Julie Newmar was the very best Catwoman--ever.

Old is new, retro is cool, and Liam Neeson takes over the reins that Leslie Neilson used to be so good at.

Like any sight gag movie, the jokes come fast and furious. Most of them land and hit the target, and while there are a few misses here and there, I was laughing at the sheer insanity of it all.

Liam Neeson does comedy? You bet your bippy, he does. Pamela Anderson does comedy? You bet your bippy she does...in the most self-aware manner possible, and that's why this movie excels. It knows its genre, it knows its conventions, and it works well within them and beyond them.

You want a feel-good movie where mayhem rules? Go see this film...then watch it again. Somewhere up there, Leslie Neilson is laughing...and probably farting.