Happily Ever After

Aside from the animation style (early Saturday morning television), the first thing that struck me about "Happily Ever After" is a bad habit of one of the comic villains, an owl named Scowl.

He smokes a cigar.

I know that back in the '50s, Fred and Wilma Flintstone did Winston cigarette commercials — but that was another era. In the '90s, a comic character in a children's movie should not be smoking a cigar.

But it probably doesn't matter much since I suspect few kids will see this movie before it makes a quick exit and heads for the dark recesses of dollar houses and video rentals.

An unofficial sequel to "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Happily Ever After" was supposed to open in theaters two years ago. But there was threatened litigation from Disney, and the film was pulled from release. The dispute has now apparently been settled.

"Happily Ever After" begins with a group of creatures partying in the late queen's castle, led by Scowl (voiced by Ed Asner) and his bat sidekick Batso (Frank Welker). Soon, the queen's evil brother Lord Maliss (Malcolm McDowell) arrives on the scene and vows vengeance for the death of his sister. He uses the Looking Glass (Dom DeLuise) to find Snow White, changes into a dragon and goes after her.

Meanwhile, Snow White (Irene Cara) and her fiance, Prince Charming (Michael Horton), are riding to the forest to invite the Seven Dwarfs to the wedding. Maliss attacks, makes off with the prince and Snow White is on her own.

Seeking refuge at the cottage of the dwarfs, she instead finds their cousins, the Seven Dwarfelles. And with their help, and the help of Mother Nature (Phyllis Diller), they ultimately rescue the prince and save the day.

Sadly, the animation here is weak, the gags even weaker and the story completely uninvolving. Kids, except perhaps for the very, very young, will be bored stiff. Their parents will be snoring.

"Happily Ever After" is rated G.