Once Upon a Warrior

Connoisseurs of Bollywood extravaganzas may sneer at the Disney backed musical/fantasy/adventure/romance epic...but it is an absolute delight for a more casual view on a wintry afternoon. Initial surprise at the studio that Walt built branching out into such exotic territory...but when the narrative begins spinning charming echoes of "Snow White" into the mix (the wicked sorceress here has a much flashier wardrobe...but she could be the snake haired sister of Snow's nasty nemesis).

Add in a few dashes of "the Wizard Of Oz", some lavish, and to me vastly entertaining, production numbers...and a very surprising nod to "Zatoichi" the blind Japanese swordsman and you get a very diverting two hours.

This film is also of interest for it's interesting blending of CGI / Green screen spectacle and lavish shot on location scenic splendor...

The costumes are lavish, the lead actors are ravishing, the good vs evil plot works very sweetly...and the surprisingly squishy violence will guarantee that nobody falls asleep...

All in all a lovely way to kill a cold winter afternoon!