Snow White and the Huntsman
3/4
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin, Ian McShane, Ray Winstone
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violence and Action and Brief Sensuality
Due to the mega-success of fantasy movies, a previously ignored genre due to lackluster film quality and audience reception, over the last decade with "The Lord of the Rings," Harry Potter, and "Twilight," Hollywood has made a huge push for summer fantasy movies. Tarsem's Snow White tale, "Mirror Mirror," was released in March, and now we have Rupert Sanders's film debut, "Snow White and the Huntsman." Although it's similar in some respects to Peter Jackson's epic saga (and no doubt Universal would love to have it see the same reception...), it's not as good. But it comes closer than a lot of movies in the past few years.
King Magnus (Noah Huntley) is a good king. He rules justly and his kingdom is happy. His wife gives birth to a beautiful baby daughter named Snow White, but dies soon a few years later. In his grief, he goes warmongering and finds a gorgeous woman. He frees her then marries her the next day. But his new queen, named Ravenna (Theron) is not who she seems. On their wedding night, she kills the king and assumes the throne. She locks poor Snow White in the tower, and steals the youth of pretty girls to stay looking like...well, Charlize Theron. This way, she can essentially live forever. But soon enough Snow White comes of age, and looks like...well, Kristen Stewart (how anyone could consider her more beautiful than Charlize Theron, I'll never know, but then again, she is the star of one of the most inexplicably popular franchises in film history). Ravenna finds out from her creepy mirror (that looks like a golden ghoul and only she can see and communicate with) that if she steals the heart of Snow White, she'll be able to look like...well, Charlize Theron, forever. She sends The Huntsman (Hemsworth) after Snow White, but he is betrayed and with the help of the Duke (Vincent Regan), his son William (Claflin) who was Snow White's childhood friend, they seek to take Ravenna down.
The film is surprisingly grim. Director Rupert Sanders does a good job of establishing atmosphere. This is a very bleak and at times scary place. Sanders has a gift for visuals but unlike Guy Ritchie in his "Sherlock Holmes" movies, he doesn't overdo them. The characters aren't three-dimensional enough and the acting isn't strong enough to take the movie to the next level, but this is still good work.
The acting varies. "Twilight" queen Kristen Stewart is good, although once again she depends on the men to do the fighting for her (at least until the end). Chris Hemsworth, an actor who has demonstrated range in the past, is awful here. Either his heart isn't in it or his range is more limited than I thought. Sam Claflin, who was the only good thing about "Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides," is essentially a non-entity here. Universal may be hoping for a Bella/Edward/Jacob triangle here, but it's really non-existent. Charlize Theron is the shining star though. Much more than a pretty face, she overacts to her heart's content; it's nice to see her chew the scenery. Popular British character actors, including Ian McShane, Ray Winstone, Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost, Eddie Marsan and Toby Jones appear as the dwarves, but they have little to do (one hopes that at least they were well paid).
"Snow White and the Huntsman" is a good movie (considerably better than "Mirror Mirror"). It's exciting, it's involving, and it's entertaining. But it's a little too grim for its own good.
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin, Ian McShane, Ray Winstone
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violence and Action and Brief Sensuality
Due to the mega-success of fantasy movies, a previously ignored genre due to lackluster film quality and audience reception, over the last decade with "The Lord of the Rings," Harry Potter, and "Twilight," Hollywood has made a huge push for summer fantasy movies. Tarsem's Snow White tale, "Mirror Mirror," was released in March, and now we have Rupert Sanders's film debut, "Snow White and the Huntsman." Although it's similar in some respects to Peter Jackson's epic saga (and no doubt Universal would love to have it see the same reception...), it's not as good. But it comes closer than a lot of movies in the past few years.
King Magnus (Noah Huntley) is a good king. He rules justly and his kingdom is happy. His wife gives birth to a beautiful baby daughter named Snow White, but dies soon a few years later. In his grief, he goes warmongering and finds a gorgeous woman. He frees her then marries her the next day. But his new queen, named Ravenna (Theron) is not who she seems. On their wedding night, she kills the king and assumes the throne. She locks poor Snow White in the tower, and steals the youth of pretty girls to stay looking like...well, Charlize Theron. This way, she can essentially live forever. But soon enough Snow White comes of age, and looks like...well, Kristen Stewart (how anyone could consider her more beautiful than Charlize Theron, I'll never know, but then again, she is the star of one of the most inexplicably popular franchises in film history). Ravenna finds out from her creepy mirror (that looks like a golden ghoul and only she can see and communicate with) that if she steals the heart of Snow White, she'll be able to look like...well, Charlize Theron, forever. She sends The Huntsman (Hemsworth) after Snow White, but he is betrayed and with the help of the Duke (Vincent Regan), his son William (Claflin) who was Snow White's childhood friend, they seek to take Ravenna down.
The film is surprisingly grim. Director Rupert Sanders does a good job of establishing atmosphere. This is a very bleak and at times scary place. Sanders has a gift for visuals but unlike Guy Ritchie in his "Sherlock Holmes" movies, he doesn't overdo them. The characters aren't three-dimensional enough and the acting isn't strong enough to take the movie to the next level, but this is still good work.
The acting varies. "Twilight" queen Kristen Stewart is good, although once again she depends on the men to do the fighting for her (at least until the end). Chris Hemsworth, an actor who has demonstrated range in the past, is awful here. Either his heart isn't in it or his range is more limited than I thought. Sam Claflin, who was the only good thing about "Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides," is essentially a non-entity here. Universal may be hoping for a Bella/Edward/Jacob triangle here, but it's really non-existent. Charlize Theron is the shining star though. Much more than a pretty face, she overacts to her heart's content; it's nice to see her chew the scenery. Popular British character actors, including Ian McShane, Ray Winstone, Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost, Eddie Marsan and Toby Jones appear as the dwarves, but they have little to do (one hopes that at least they were well paid).
"Snow White and the Huntsman" is a good movie (considerably better than "Mirror Mirror"). It's exciting, it's involving, and it's entertaining. But it's a little too grim for its own good.
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