Snow White and the Huntsman, 2012’s second entry into the world of Snow White, has finally arrived and it’s one that’ll leave audience members with mixed feelings. Some will feel enchanted and happy with how it turned out while others will be disappointed and possibly bored, but will leave with a positive comment to spare.
After her father is killed and she is locked up by the evil Queen Raveena (Charlize Theron), Snow White (Kristen Stewart) manages to escape into the dark forest where the Queen has no power. When The Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) is hired to capture her, he realizes that she will be killed if she is returned to the Queen and decides to become her protector. From then on, the two are hunted by the Queen’s brother and encounter various obstacles along the way, like eight dwarfs (Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Eddie Marson, Toby Jones, Brian Gleeson and Johnny Harris) who have a bone to pick with The Huntsman. Eventually, they all join forces so that they, along with those who are still loyal to her deceased father, can complete their quest of killing the Queen and restoring the throne to its rightful heir.
I think many people will enjoy this movie, especially since the story offers a nice twist on the classic version of the tale while taking it down the darker, edgier route. That alone will drawn people to the theater but if you’re like me and are a sucker for fantasy films then you have one more good reason to consider seeing it. Though, personally, when the credits began to roll I found myself divided which usually means that I wasn’t very satisfied with what I saw. Kristin Stewart is partially to blame as is the director and the 127 minute run time.
The best parts about Snow White and the Huntsman are the all star cast, the effects and the beautiful cinematography. Charlize Theron kicked ass as the Evil Queen, Chris Hemsworth was pretty much Thor again except with a drunken Scottish-like accent and an ax, and the group that played the dwarfs were excellent. All are people you’ve seen before and they all look hilarious in miniature form. Furthermore, the movie looked beautiful, especially the scenes that involved the dark or enchanted forest because not only are the colors fantastic, but anytime you get to see a creature or dark magic in action you’re usually in for a visual treat. I’m particularly a fan of when the Troll fights The Huntsman.
Known as an in demand commercial director, Snow White and the Huntsman marks the feature film debut of director Rupert Sanders, a rather odd choice for Universal considering the magnitude of the film and the popularity of the character. That being said, Sanders who I think did a good job visually, did a poor job in one area, and that’s assuming we would all really enjoy the presence of the titular charac
ter. Because Stewert was in the lead, many people are already going into the film with a bit of skepticism, and when they leave all they will remember is that she isn’t the Princess any of us would want to adore or cheer for.
Here’s where everything went wrong for the movie. You can’t put someone like Kristen Stewart in a role that requires the individual to enchant the audience, to motivate them and believe that things will be better, she just isn’t that type of actress. Plus, for a character that is supposed to be absolutely beautiful, and no offense here, but you can’t choose Stewart to compete in a looks contest with Charlize Therone, that’s not even fair. Also, while I agree everything she has done has been pretty flat and a regurgitation of the same performance we’ve seen in her past films (this comes close), I don’t hate her like other people do. She needs to just be selected for roles that reflect her personality/style and this isn’t one of those roles.
Now I don’t want to to get too nit-picky, but there are various questions that will arise as you watch this. For example, can someone tell me how, after being locked up in a castle for years, Snow White learned how to use a sword and could kill warriors in battle with relative ease? Didn’t think so. I don’t normally judge fantasy too harshly but I think consistency within these films is important, particularly when fantasy and realism collide.
Overall, while many people will likely enjoy Snow White and the Huntsman, it left me disappointed and a bit frustrated. The potential was all there: an outstanding supporting cast, beautiful cinematography, a few fun action sequences, a couple of chuckles and some awe inspiring fantasy special effects, but what kills it is the terrible choice in the lead and possibly even the decision to go with a director who hasn’t had feature film experience.
Rating: A disenchanting fairy tale that could have been great had we only had a different lead (5.2/10)
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