Snow White and the Huntsman

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Clafin, Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, Johnny Harris, Brian Gleeson, Vincent Regan
Directed by: Rupert Sanders
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Snow White (Kristen Stewart) teams with the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) assigned to kill her to combat the evil Queen (Charlize Theron).

Review:

Tim: 2012 showcased two live-action "Snow White" movies- Mirror Mirror (which wasn't very good), and Snow White and the Huntsman. This film does win the 2012 Snow White battle, and I would also consider it a good movie. However, there was unrealized potential here. While director Rupert Sanders does a good job, this is obviously the work of a first-time director. A more talented, experienced director could have made this a pretty amazing movie. As is, though, this is a solid effort that could have done more.

The visuals are certainly impressive. Snow White is definitely a fantasy story, and the special effects helped bring it to life. While there were a few moments when things didn't look great (the faeries looked fake), overall, I loved the look and feel of this film. It certainly took a much darker tone for the story. The Magic Mirror looked impressive, as did the troll and many other fantasy elements. What most impressed me was just the clear, stark look of the overall film. Colors were used quite effectively, and popped on the screen. It was a beautiful film to watch, and I want to applaud its cinematography. I was impressed with the way this movie looked.

The cast was pretty good. Kristen Stewart might not be a great actor yet, but she was solid as Snow White. While she's never been an actress to really draw the audience into her performance, she worked well enough in the role. While she might not have been my first choice or even the best choice for the part, she certainly gives a better performance than Lilly Collins did as Snow in Mirror Mirror. Her performance is far too serious, but at least it's keeping within the tone of the movie.

I loved the casting of Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman. He was very good in Thor, but I've wondered about his ability to maintain a long, successful career playing different characters. While there's some similarities between these two characters, he really makes the Huntsman his own. I found the character to be interesting and exciting. He was one of the better parts of the film, and has a few moments where he truly shines (talking to the dead Kristen Stewart was a fantastic moment for him, and he showed off his ability then). I thought he was well cast.

Charlize Theron was quite incredible, giving the most memorable performance of the film. She's definitely a scene-stealer. She really embraces her dark side, giving a chilling, villainous portrayal as the evil queen, Ravenna. While she and her character's brother get a bit too much screen time, she's pretty stunning to watch. Her vengeful performance adds a great deal of seriousness to the film and certainly ups the stakes. She easily gives the best performance of the entire cast.

This movie apparently marks the first time midgets weren't used as the seven dwarves. In this film, special effects transform regular-sized actors into the short characters. It's pretty fun to see good actors like Ian McShane, Toby Jones, Ray Winstone, and Nick Frost as various dwarves. However, I have to say that I loved seeing Bob Hoskins as the elder dwarf. It's apparent that he won't be gracing screens much longer (after this film, he officially retired from acting). Hoskins is such a terrific actor, and he works very well here. Every second of his screen time felt like an added bonus. I really enjoyed his performance.

There are a good deal of action scenes throughout this film- certainly more than most "Snow White" tales. While the movie was going for an expansive, epic feel, it seemed like the budget restricted the epic quality a bit. For example, the final battle was fun to watch, but this movie just didn't have the scope that something like The Lord of the Rings did. While it might be silly to expect that same level of epicness, this film felt a bit small in comparison to other films we've seen.

I loved that Snow White and the Huntsman took a dark, serious approach to this familiar story. It was certainly exciting and fun to watch. This movie is definitely better than Mirror Mirror. Unfortunately, it's obvious that Rupert Sanders is a first-time director, and his inexperience shows up throughout the entire film. Even in the most dramatic moment of the film, Sanders doesn't quite connect the characters or their plight with the audience's emotions. I felt far too detached watching this movie. I applaud Sanders for giving us a good film with his first effort, but I lament at the potential greatness of this movie that was lost as a result of his inexperience. So, if you can only watch one "Snow White" movie this year, this one definitely needs to be it. Unfortunately, it'll be pretty obvious that this movie fails to reach its full potential.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs