In cinemas today, Snow White and the Huntsman sees the classic fairy tale of mirrors, enchanted apples and little men with daft names given a somewhat darker twist. Expect less hi-ho-ing and off-to-work-we're-going and more violence with axes. Alex Ritman considers a few other stories of old that could get a similar rejig for 21st-century audiences.
Codename: Three Bears
Baby Bear, Mother Bear and Father Bear, the last three remaining specimens from a failed Cold War military experiment to develop super-strong animal warriors capable of working behind Russian lines, have escaped from an underground bunker in Nevada and are heading directly towards Las Vegas. Wanting the problem sorted as quickly and as quietly as possible, the Pentagon opts not for full army interception, but persuades the tough-talking former special forces agent Dwayne Goldilocks to come out of retirement and hunt them down in a thrilling all-action chase across the Great Basin.
Jack Bauer and the Beanstalk
Does this really need any more explanation? OK, let's give it a go. Having bought some plutonium-enriched magic beans from a disgruntled former KGB agent, the warlord of a fictitious breakaway Soviet state has grown a beanstalk leading to the home of a powerful arms dealer in the sky. Jack Bauer has just 24 hours to destroy the beanstalk and neutralise the threat of all-out world war before this rogue terrorist can get his hands on the famed warhead-laying hen and the deadly HARP automatic nuclear missile system. Naturally, Bauer's daughter is kidnapped somewhere along the way.
Dick Whittington of Dubai
The classic rags-to-riches folk tale gets a modern-day revamp, moving from 14th-century England to 21st-century UAE. When Richard Whittington finds himself out of a job in recession-hit Britain, he packs up his worldly belongings and heads to Dubai, hearing that the streets are paved with gold. Things at first don't turn out as he'd hoped, with visa troubles and encounters with a series of unscrupulous landlords. Whittington decides to give it up and return to the UK, but as he goes to leave, he hears the sound of a particularly loud car horn from the Sheikh Zayed Road. Believing it to be calling his name, he chooses to stay. Years later, Richard Whittington PR is among the biggest public relations companies across the whole of the city and our hero drives a large 4x4.
The Ugly Duckling: Vengeance
Fifteen years have passed since Alice Swann left Summer Sweet Valley Heights High, but the mental scars from her years labelled "Queen Dork" and being the bullies' main target haven't healed. Now a successful businesswoman, six-time Sports Illustrated cover model and a member of an elite commando fighting squad, she returns to her hometown with a vast arsenal of weaponry hoping to exact deadly punishment on her former tormentors and banish the demons for good.
aritman@thenational.ae
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The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
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