I had a realization the other day that I haven’t reviewed any movies this year. I reference plenty of movies on this blog, sure, but actual reviews of cinematic adaptations? None. So imagine my excitement when I stumbled across a very recent and wildly underappreciated animated version of Snow White this summer: Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs.
I hadn’t even heard of this movie until about a month ago. It was released in 2019 by Locus Corporation, which is an all-Korean animation team. Of course my husband and I had to track it down and watch it. And Red Shoes did not disappoint! In fact, I loved it.
This movie basically has everything: adventure, romance, humor, cuteness, a fresh take on an old story, beautiful artwork, and a seriously great message. If you’re not sold yet, here are seven specific and nonspoilery reasons why I’d recommend Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs:
1. Snow White Is Plus-Sized in This Movie
Don’t let the movie posters fool you! Although Snow White undergoes some appearance enhancing magic in the story, she’s actually just a regular girl. And a regular girl who actually LIKES the way she looks. Typically the character of Snow White falls into one of two extremes: either she’s a show-stopping beauty or she’s ugly. Subversions of Snow White almost always make the girl ugly, and although I love Gail Carson Levine’s Fairest, Red Shoes took this tale a different direction.
I think what I loved most here is that even though Snow White is plus-sized, there’s never a moment in the whole story where anyone belittles her appearance, not even herself. Granted, she is objectively adorable with her cute style, bomb haircut, velvety voice, and absolutely angelic personality. But I really appreciated a movie taking a girl with a normal body type and making her the hero. That’s almost never done in animated films.
2. The Story Centers around a Pair of Magic Shoes
If you’re wondering where the red shoes come in, they’re actually a magic spell that belongs to Snow White’s evil stepmother. Whoever wears the shoes transforms into the most gorgeous woman in the world, so obviously the queen wants them. In Snow White’s search for her father, who has mysteriously disappeared from the kingdom, she steals the magic shoes. And of course the queen pursues her for the rest of the film to get them back.
I also loved that once you put these shoes on, they’re extremely hard to remove. Partly because they’re enchanted. And partly because once you’re the most physically attractive version of yourself, you don’t even WANT to take them off. I found this concept pretty cool.
3. The Magic Is Fun and Unusual
Speaking of magic shoes, those weren’t the only spell in this movie. The evil stepmother’s magic is actually quite unique in this movie. She’s a witch, like most versions of the evil queen, but here her powers are specifically tied to wood, apples, and apple trees in a way that I wasn’t expecting.
I thought it was neat that the scriptwriters took the magic apple trope from the original Snow White and ran with it, filling out the story with magical trees, magical wooden creatures, and a beauty spell that literally grows on branches. That’s right: this witch’s red shoes come straight from her apple tree, something that the animators worked into the shoes’ design in such a lovely way. So basically it makes sense why this witch is obsessed with apples.
4. This Movie Combines Multiple Fairy Tales
This is obviously a Snow White retelling, but the source material doesn’t stop there. I found out that Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs actually got its title from a lesser known Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale called The Red Shoes. It’s . . . kind of a weird one with some really messed up religious messages. But I appreciated that this movie borrowed the concept of red shoes as a symbol of vanity. The shoes in the Andersen story also don’t come off particularly easily.
But the fairy tales don’t stop there! This movie also draws heavily from Beauty and the Beast. Here, the seven dwarfs have their very own backstory of being cursed by a slighted witch. In reality, they’re actually handsome, adventurous princes who only look like quirky little green men. And the only way they can change back to their original forms is if each dwarf gets a beautiful woman to kiss him.
There are just so many layers to this movie. And I have to say, it’s downright brilliant that the writers thought to combine Snow White, The Red Shoes, and Beauty and the Beast—three fairy tales that all comment about appearance.
5. The Seven Dwarfs Aren’t Just Side Characters
Something I LOVED about this version is that the seven dwarfs actually have a purpose. In most versions of Snow White—including the Grimms’ original—the seven dwarfs are kind of just . . . there. They’re mostly a convenient plot device to give Snow White something to do and a place to stay while she’s on the run. They have zero development and not much differentiation either. Walt Disney tried to give them some personalities, but even so, they’re basically just Snow White’s sidekicks until her prince comes to carry her away.
In Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs, the dwarfs ARE princes who are living out their own curse and their own adventure. All of them fight hard to become Snow White’s love interest and win their curse-breaking kiss, which is hilarious throughout the course of the movie. And most importantly, the dwarfs have an arc of learning how to be less into themselves and how to appreciate inner beauty rather than just a pretty face.
6. There’s a Great Message about Self-Esteem
I know I’ve already talked about Snow White, but she really is a fantastic role model in this movie. Not only is she kind and loyal, she’s also a great example for young girls of how to love the real you and be confident in your own skin. In fact, she’s such a stellar person that her real conflict in the movie is searching for her dad, NOT getting over how she looks. Which, once again, was refreshing.
Meanwhile the dwarfs are the ones who have to grow up to deserve such an awesome woman in their lives, hence the Beauty and the Beast vibes I was picking up. I was just so delighted to come across a female character who knows who she is and embraces herself. Lots of fairy tale retellings try so hard to empower women. And most of them fail in my humble opinion. But here we have a story about a girl being great, going for her dreams, AND finding love—all while bucking popular beauty standards.
If that isn’t empowerment, I don’t know what is.
7. My Only Complaint? It Wasn’t Long Enough
How often do adults watch a kids movie and complain that it was too short? Andy and I both agreed that it ended too abruptly, and we just wanted more! More of the world, more of the fabulous Snow White, more explanations for all the spellbinding magic, and more development in general. That seems like a pretty strong sign that Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs is doing something right.
If you’re interested in a family-friendly fairy tale, I highly recommend you give this one a try. It’s funny. It’s relevant. And it’s sure to bring you some lighthearted joy. ❧
