Rumpelstiltskin
'80s musical fairy tale is slightly scary, a little slow.
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Rumpelstiltskin
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Rumpelstiltskin is an '80s musical retelling of the classic fairy tale, which was released as part of the Cannon Movie Tales series. Although the movie does contain a lot of fairy tale stereotypes (beautiful, poor maiden who wants to marry a prince, love at first sight), there are some moderately positive messages, about the dangers of bragging and that having a good heart will help you conquer all. The content is mostly clean, with some mild sexy stuff (a couple of kisses, some flirting) and one scene that shows beer drinking. Some very young kids may find Rumpelstiltskin -- who's portrayed as sinister and scheming -- and the wicked king and queen somewhat scary, though the film is definitely less frightening than other '80s fantasy flicks such as Labyrinth and Willow.
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What's the Story?
The beautiful miller's daughter, Katie (Amy Irving), dreams of living a life of leisure and marrying a prince. Her father, also believing she's destined for great things, spins a tall tale that Katie is so talented that she can spin straw into gold. The rumor quickly spreads through the kingdom until it reaches the ears of the greedy King Mezzer (Clive Revill), who demands Katie come forward and spin him some gold. Stuck in her father's lie, Katie is in despair in the dungeon until a scheming elf, Rumpelstiltskin (Billy Barty), arrives on the scene promising to help. In exchange for her necklace, he spins the gold for her, then returns again on the following night for another round. But alas, on the third night, with nothing left to trade, Katie promises her firstborn child to Rumpelstiltskin. Finally, after bringing the spun gold to the king, Katie is set free, weds the prince, and is set to live happily ever after -- that is, until Rumpelstiltskin returns to collect on her promise.
Is It Any Good?
This silly, somewhat creepy fairy tale was almost a winner. Amy Irving is sweet and believable as the naive miller's daughter, and Billy Barty is a great Rumpelstiltskin, delivering all his lines in catchy verse. But the music, which should be one of the main selling points of the film, is lackluster and forgettable and sometimes even laughably bad or just plain weird (especially in King Mezzer's "I'm greedy" ditty). The movie is also kind of slow and plods along in the first half. The traditional tale is somewhat thin and would have benefited from some side plots or further character development.
Parents looking for a fairly clean introduction to fantasy flicks for their kids might enjoy watching Rumpelstiltskin before diving into darker, more complex films in the genre. And those who grew up in the '80s may enjoy revisiting old memories and watching it for nostalgia's sake.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about bragging. Do you think it's ever OK to brag? What consequences can result from bragging?
Do you think Katie should have pretended she could spin straw into gold? Or could she have told the truth? Is it ever OK to lie?
Do you like this retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters: April 14, 1987
- On DVD or streaming: August 9, 2005
- Cast: Amy Irving, Billy Barty, Clive Revill
- Director: David Irving
- Studio: MGM/UA
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Run time: 84 minutes
- MPAA rating: G
- Last updated: February 26, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
-
Willow
Magic-filled fantasy adventure has monsters, battle scenes.
-
Labyrinth
Surreal coming-of-age fantasy -- with Muppets.
-
The Princess Bride
Witty, winsome fairy tale for the whole family.
For kids who love fairy tales
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