Film

Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs

Name: Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs
Genre: Animation, Fantasy, Family, Comedy, Romance
Released: 2019
Cast: Ahn So-yi, Shin Yong-woo, Jun Jin-ah, Jeong Jae-heon, Choi Han

Fairy tale
Light-hearted

A Korean animated fantasy where a woman in magical red shoes crosses paths with seven cursed princes trying to break their spell. It's a playful, visually rich retelling of a fairy tale that swaps the usual power dynamics—witty, romantic, and surprisingly inventive about what happens when classic stories get turned sideways. For anyone who loves animated fantasy with charm and a sense of humour about its own tropes.

TMDb rating

3.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like fairy-tale retellings that play the familiar Snow White frame for gentle gags, with a light romance and a brisk quest that keeps its sense of humour.

Skip it if you find animated kids' films with stock jokes and busy, bright set pieces wearing thin, since it leans on broad slapstick and a romance that rarely surprises.

What it asks of you: Ninety-two minutes of bright, quick scenes that rarely pause, so light attention is enough and you can follow it while half-distracted.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Tangled2010

A Disney animated film that similarly reimagines a fairy tale with wit, warmth, and genuine stakes. The lead character has agency and personality beyond the usual princess template, and the romance feels earned rather than obligatory.

But If you're tired of Disney's particular brand of redemption arcs and feel-good messaging, this leans into those comforts rather than questioning them.

Enchanted2007

A live-action/animated hybrid that gleefully deconstructs fairy-tale tropes while still celebrating them. Sharp, funny, and genuinely affectionate about the stories it's playing with, with real chemistry between leads.

But The tonal shifts between animation and live-action can feel clunky, and if you don't enjoy self-aware fantasy comedy, the whole thing might feel smug.

Shrek2001

The original irreverent fairy-tale comedy that proves you can deconstruct genre while being genuinely moving. Cynical humour meets real heart, and it never talks down to its audience about either impulse.

But Some of the pop-culture references have aged badly, and the crude humour might feel dated if you're watching for the first time now.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Wolfwalkers2020

Both take fairy-tale frameworks and rebuild them around outsider characters—people the stories told you to fear or dismiss—and find genuine magic in that reversal. Both care deeply about visual invention as part of the emotional storytelling.

An Irish animated film with hand-drawn sequences that shift and flow like watercolour, about two girls from opposite worlds learning to see each other. It's about transformation, forbidden connection, and the magic in nature—visual storytelling at its most inventive and moving.

But The plot is slight and dreamlike; if you need concrete narrative momentum and clear cause-and-effect, this will feel frustratingly vague. Some viewers find the animation style jarring rather than beautiful.

Snow White2001

A live-action take on Snow White that actually gives her agency and wit. It's visually sumptuous, romantic without being saccharine, and treats the fairy tale as a starting point rather than scripture.

But Kristin Kryst's performance won't connect with everyone, and the film takes itself more seriously than Red Shoes does, which might feel tonally mismatched if you're comparing.

Anastasia1997

A 2D animated fantasy with gorgeous hand-drawn animation, a smart female lead, and a plot that actually has stakes. The romance builds naturally, and it respects the intelligence of both its characters and audience.

But It's a product of 1990s animation sensibilities—pacing and some voice acting choices haven't aged perfectly—and it takes a historical figure and changes everything, which bothers some viewers.

The Swan Princess1994

An underrated animated fantasy with genuine invention: transformation magic, a heroine who refuses the obvious plot, and a prince who has to be rescued. It's earnest, romantic, and doesn't waste time on cynicism.

But The animation is notably cheap in places, some voice acting is strained, and the pacing drags in the middle act. It's genuinely flawed in ways that are hard to overlook.

Howl's Moving Castle2004

Studio Ghibli's take on a fantasy romance where both characters are vain, complicated, and wonderful. The emotional core is genuine, the world-building is intricate, and the romance builds through character understanding rather than spectacle.

But If you find Miyazaki's pacing meditative to the point of slow, or if whimsy without clear plot direction frustrates you, this will test your patience.

Stardust2007

A live-action fantasy adventure that delights in its own absurdity while maintaining genuine heart. Pirates, witches, fallen stars, and a love story that earns its ending through work and character growth, not destiny.

But The tonal shifts between comedy and darkness can feel uneven, and if you're looking for coherent logic in your fantasy worlds, this one doesn't care about consistency.

The NeverEnding Story1984

A deeply strange, genuinely magical fantasy about a boy and the world he enters through a book. It has real emotional weight alongside its invention, and it trusts children to handle sadness and complexity.

But The special effects are dated in ways that distract, the pacing is glacial by modern standards, and the darkness might feel heavy rather than thrilling if you're not in the right headspace.

The Thief and the Cobbler1993

Both are animated fantasies that trust their visuals to carry emotional and narrative weight, and both feature quests for magical objects with real stakes. More importantly, both refuse the cynical, knowing tone of modern fairy-tale retellings and find sincerity in the form itself.

An almost-lost animated epic with jaw-dropping hand-drawn artistry, almost no dialogue, and a story told almost entirely through image and movement. It's a love letter to old fairy tales, animation craft, and visual storytelling as pure art.

But It's genuinely incomplete—the director's cut is a reconstruction, and there's deliberate ambiguity and open-endedness that will infuriate anyone wanting narrative closure. The pacing is unusual and the quietness demands patience.

Raya and the Last Dragon2021

Both centre on characters brought together by magical necessity who learn to care about each other beyond the quest. Both feature ensembles where every member has distinct personality and purpose, and both use fantasy worlds to explore questions about trust, transformation, and what it means to be seen.

Disney's most structurally inventive recent film: a quest narrative with an ensemble that grows organically, animation that blends 2D and 3D seamlessly, and a genuine exploration of trust as the real magic. It's gorgeously realized and emotionally earned.

But Some find the middle section preachy about its themes, and the film sometimes prioritises visual spectacle over character moments. If you want small-scale intimacy, this trades in epic scale.