Uma Fada Veio Me Visitar (2023)
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 Not only that the book it was based on unfortunately received not only a terrible live-action adaptation with Kéfera, but also a second terrible live-action adaptation with Rainha dos Baixinhos, showing that the book has no luck with live-action film adaptations.
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Uma Fada Veio Me Visitar is a Brazilian comedy film produced by Rubi Produtora, directed by Vivi Jundi and based on the book of the same name by writer Thalita Rebouças. The film premiered on October 12, 2023, on Children's Day in Brazil. It stars Xuxa Meneghel and Antonia Périssé. The film marks Xuxa's return to cinema since O Mistério da Feiruinha in 2009.
Enredo (Plot)
Luna was worried about her future, her mother had already warned her: another bad grade and no parties, movies, beaches, shopping malls, television or computers for an indefinite period of time. The days were not being easy for this girl, but she could not imagine what awaited her that night, which was interrupted by the unusual visit of a lively fairy who wore a dress that made her look like something out of the movie Grease. With a lot of effort, a few doses of magic and priceless dialogue, the friendly Tatu wins Luna's trust. And a world of incredible discoveries begins. Tatu's mission, in fact, was to lend a hand to a certain Lara Amaral, who was about to go through a big problem, but to do so the fairy would need Luna's help. The problem is that this Lara was simply the most stuck-up girl in school, and on top of that she had hooked up with cute Pedro Maia.
Porque Não É Magicamente Fada (Why It's Not Fairy-Magical)
- Just like É Fada! from 2016 with Kéfera, the adaptation with Xuxa disrespects the original source material it is based on, which is the book of the same name, where the book is more stylized with the 1960s, this live-action version of Xuxa it is more stylized with the 1980s (where she had a lot of success with her TV shows, albums and films) and is not done in a good way.
- What doesn't help is that the change in theme from the 1960s to the 1980s in the film came from Xuxa herself, as she had great success in the 1980s. But even so, the 1980s theme in the film that is based on a book that has a 1960s theme unfortunately felt forced and embarrassing.
- As expected from Xuxa's live-action films, it is terrible and very dietetical, despite the over 10 rating but the film seems more like a childish teen film than a proper teen film without infantilization.
- Themes such as bullying and popularity are poorly executed in the film, with forced and embarrassing scenes, as well as the omission of bullying actions carried out by the antagonist Lara also harms the understanding of the film.
- Unlike Xuxa's previous films, there was no new song sung by her, most likely due to not having time to make a song for the film.
- Cringy acting, especially from Xuxa and Antonia Périssé who have no chemistry, which is kind of sad since Xuxa did have good chemistry with other people in her films.
- It has many forced references to media and personalities from the 80s like the late Michael Jackson, Madonna, Cindy Lauper, Angélica, She-Ra, which comes as very embarrassing.
- With the exception of her books and the Globoplay documentary, this film is one of the few failed attempts to make Xuxa relevant after she left television in 2020, mainly due for being her return to cinema since 2009 and serves as a platform for her activism, but it ended up not working due to the film having poor execution in its plot and script.
Qualidades Mágicas De Fadas (Fairy-Magical Qualities)
- Even though the film is bad, it has a good message against bullying and cancel culture, despite poor execution.
- There are some good moments.
- At least this adaptation is considered slightly better than É Fada! and a little faithful to the book of same name, despite the disrespect to the original source material.
Recepção (Reception)
The movie got a lukewarm reception, most being negative from critics and people, who criticized its plot for being too didactic and also the forced 80s references. However, the movie was defended and well-received by Xuxa's fans.
Writing for CinePOP, critic Janda Montenegro pointed out that the highly educational film can be used in the classroom to address topics such as bullying and the spread of hate. However, the final editing, carried out by Vivianne Jundi, seems to omit crucial scenes to understand the plot, such as the effective practice of bullying by the antagonist Lara. Xuxa's reintroduction to the fictional audiovisual scene is the project's strong point, highlighting her charisma even after a long absence. Her character, with an 80s aesthetic, incorporates fun references to musical personalities, providing pleasant moments. Despite this, Lara's lack of clear actions can make the narrative confusing.
From Estação Nerd, Hiccaro Rodrigues wrote that when addressing everyday themes of the young protagonist, such as self-esteem, popularity and bullying, the film often falls into moments of embarrassment, with caricatured scenes and forced situations. The creation of the popular character and her interaction with others seems unrealistic, providing moments of shame for others. However, the appearances of the fairy Tatu (played by Xuxa) break this strange atmosphere, bringing charisma and references from the 80s. Despite the constraints in certain parts, Uma Fada Veio Me Visitar manages to be friendly and fun at times. The highlight of the film is, without a doubt, the presence of the iconic Xuxa, who steals the show by mixing her references and nostalgia with the plot. The film is worth it for the captivating presence of the "Rainha dos Baixinhos".
Marcelo Müller, critic for Papo de Cinema, said that the film has positive aspects, highlighting Xuxa's relaxed performance, willing to make fun of herself, and a less angelic approach to her usual cinematic characters. The production also stands out for having predominantly a creative team made up of women, making room for themes such as female rivalry in a children's context. However, the execution of the ideas leaves something to be desired. He concludes that although Tatu's presence is marked by new costumes and references, his relevance to the plot is questionable. The narrative, at a certain point, presents abrupt transformations in complex scenarios, giving the production an innocent aura. Although themes such as bullying are relevant, their approach in the film is considered somewhat innocent and oversimplified, suggesting a quick and easy resolution to issues that, in reality, require a deeper process. On the other hand, the film addresses the need for understanding and empathy in a hyperconnected era, highlighting the importance of avoiding hasty judgments. The intentions are commendable, but the film's making seems to balance between nostalgia and consciousness, without fully reaching extreme.
Unlike Xuxa's previous live-action movies and similar to Xuxinha e Guto contra os Monstros do Espaço from 2005, the film was a box-office bomb (partially due to poor advertising from Imagem Filmes, the film's distributor), only grossing R$899 thousand in its opening weekend. It was removed from the theaters three weeks later, as a result of the film's failure at the box-office.[1] Due to the film becoming a box-office bomb, many theaters have already removed the film from the circuit, and in São Paulo, for example, there were no more screenings available. On the UCI network, only the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Salvador continued to show it in the film's third and final week in theaters.
Trivia
- The movie received a Spanish dub, being one of the cases of Brazilian cinematographic movies being dubbed in Spanish.
- The film used to have a page of reviews on the film's Google page, but it was removed due to review bombing over the issue of Xuxa's divisive political stance (Xuxa supports the president of Brazil, Lula, who is from PT).