MHB rating 6.5/10
Full review after the jump
Snow White and the Huntsman was an inoffensive though slightly uninspired two hours of cinema. The movie came and went and did nothing to anger or frustrate , but failed at any point to grab hold and shake you.
A reimagining of the classic fairy tale the movie focused on the evil Queen's (Charlize Theron) relentless pursuit of an escaped Snow White (Kristen Stewart). The Queen entices the Huntsman ( Chris Hemsworth) to hunt her down and bring her back but once in Snow White's presence the Huntsman is captivated by the hope she radiates and decides instead to aid her. Along the way they battle trolls and evil henchman, Snow White is reunited with a childhood friend, and we are introduced to seven helpful Dwarves. It all culminates with Snow White leading an army to try and win back her kingdom.
The two best parts of the movie were the clever and unique visuals and Chris Hemsworth turn as the Huntsman. The former offered up some of the finest fantasy visuals we've ever been treated to in film. Whether it was the nightmare Snow White encountered in the forest or the majesty your eyes are treated to when they reach the home of the fairies, that part of the film was well done.
Charlize Theron gives a strong performance as the unhinged evil Queen, you totally believe this woman is batshit crazy and capable of horrible things. Obsessed with power and beauty, which she equates as the same thing, the Queen will kill any number of young girls and decimate the lands to reach her ends. Stewart is honestly a bit average in her role as Snow White. I think the film would have benefited more from giving her more dialogue as she is a capable actress, but for some reason seems to be pigeon holed into roles where she must act only with knowing or unknowing stares. Chris Hemsworth would have been well served with more dialogue as well but he is fortunate that he possesses a natural charisma that comes across on screen. He is believable as a bad ass capable of battling armies and monsters alike, but also shows a vulnerability regarding Snow White that the character thought died along with his wife.
This leads to an area of the movie that is a little bit grey, although I honestly had no problem with it. Watching the trailers I believe most who entered the theater expected a romance to blossom between Snow White and the Huntsman but that wasn't the case. Granted the movie did hint at somewhat of a love triangle between Snow White, her childhood friend turned warrior William, and the Huntsman but were vague about it. A different approach as opposed to most movies but it showed a belief by the filmmakers in their product, they made this movie in hopes of launching a franchise, and given the opening weekend success it seems likely it'll happen now. I like the movie to slow burn the romance for now and focus on telling the core story in the first movie.
Alas this is the biggest problem with the movie, the story telling. A great deal of the components that make up the film are good, it's just when put all together it failed to tell a great story. It was a bit straight forward, offered little in way of surprises, and didn't give a chance for enough character development. I feel like most of the failings of the movie fell on the director, concept was good, script was at least serviceable, and the actors were game. All of that combined for a movie that was good but never achieved great, which isn't the worst fate but is regrettable given the potential.
A worthy installment into the fantasy film genre I would recommend checking the movie out if you thought the trailers looked good, you won't come away feeling robbed or anything. Just don't expect to break any new ground or leave the movie thinking about a story you just can't shake.
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