Snow White and the Huntsman [DVD] [2012]

Firstly, this movie aims to sweep away the Disney tinsel and tell the grittier, harder story that the tale of Snow White once was. It does this with style, action and the injection of subtle romance and occasional well timed humor.As a rough guide, if you liked the Princess Bride, the Narnia or LOTR films you will enjoy this one.Charlize Theron makes a 'good' baddie and in fact Sam Spruel does a fine job of playing her equally troubled and wicked sibling. The dwarves are all well played, by a first rate collection of reliable English character actors and Sam Clafin makes a charming and daring prince, who happens to be very handy with a bow and arrow.In other reviews some criticism has been laid at the feet of the performances by Chris Hemsworth and Kristen Stewart, with references to 'stoical' as if this term denotes a weakness in their characters. In truth both characters are in many ways as touched by darkness as the characters of the wicked Ravenna and her devious brother Finn. That they have come through their brush with darkness with their integrity either still in tact, as in the case of Snow White, or renewed, as in the case of the Huntsman are elements of their characters which both actors put across well.In their portrayals of the Huntsman and the Princess there is no downward spiral into the screaming, rages of Ravenna or the smirking, cruelty of her brother. Instead Hemsworth and Stewart portray their characters in a way that does justice to their basic heroism, yet they are not shiny 'perfect creatures' but real people with real feelings who just happen to live in a world of sorcery, fairies and trolls.They portray the suffering souls of the Huntsman and Princess in such a way that one sees the affinity they share under the surface. Snow White senses that a deep sorrow drives the Huntsman's need to drink and he begins to appreciate that a young girl can have similar feelings of sorrow, loss and disappointment.Basically, its an excellent movie within its own niche area, with outstanding special effects and good acting all round.

I was quite surprised that I actually loved this film. After reading some reviews which described the acting as uneven, I really cannot see what the problem is. Charlize Theron plays the evil man-hating queen, Ravenna pretty well, she is like a cross between Sharon Stone and the Statue of Liberty with her blond beauty and towering crowns. Her hissy fits are admirably psychotic and there is no hint of satire which would have ruined any performance. She is a worthy successor to Michelle Pfeiffer In the cold beauty stakes.Kristen Stewart is the grubbiest greasiest haired Snow White, her androgynous beauty lends a Joan of Arc clarity to her role as a virtuous avenger.I also liked the 'famous names' dwarfs- Ian McShane and Ray Winston made titchy by CGI is a great idea.I loved the costuming which is super smashing dirty or glittery, the liquid brass Marvel entity which emanates from the magic mirror and the Dark Forest. Fairyland is a bit Bambi-esque and cutesy, I prefer a darker and less idyllic squirrel skipping incarnation of Sanctuary.Best of all is Hemsworth as the drunken, swaggering huntsman, as rough as a bear's arse, we want him to prevail as well as Snow White.Overall, the dark feeling of the film was quite disturbing and satisfying- a jolly good romp through a fantasy world which is mainly very believeable.Not sure what Lily Cole was doing in there- having her youth sucked out is not a good entree to the big film industry.

Excellent, if rather dark, retelling of the old story. Good performances, exciting plot, some humour, some tension, a fun movie for teens and above, although it's a bit scarey for young viewers (I know it has a 12 classification, but that's often put on relatively harmless films, so a lot of parents ignore it. This is one time it should be stuck to. Well, no under 10s anyway.) There is one bum note, and it's a big one, given the prominence of the character; Kristen Stewart is wooden and sulky. Very, very pretty mind you, so many won't mind, but her portrayal was so one dimensional that I found it hard to believe that anyone would care at all about the fate of her Snow White, let alone risk their lives for her. This is the first thing I've seen her in - the whole Twilight thing has passed me by - and I think knowing she was a main player would actually put me off going to see anything else. I was mostly rooting for the queen - Charlize Theron and managed to make me pity her while finding her monstrous! Otherwise, a very good movie and one I've already recommended to several people.

This 2012 fantasy has been given a new spin on the traditional fairy tale "Snow White" compiled by the Brothers Grimm. In this version the evil witch Ravenna [Charlize Theron] tricks the King into marriage and immediately murders him imprisoning Snow White in a tower. Years later, Snow White [Kristen Stewart] escapes into the `Dark Forest, pursued by Eric, the Huntsman [Chris Hemsworth] as she sets about to regain her fathers kingdom.All the usual suspects are included in the mix, the mirror, the dwarves, poisoned apple, fairies, love, unrequited love, friendship and betrayal but not how you'd expect it. The special effects are phenomenal, especially the `Forest' which is really intimidating and Ravenna is sinisterly played to perfection.Traditionalists may frown but youngsters and adults alike will soon be sucked in by the eerie atmosphere and desperate plight of Snow White. There are some humorous lines, impressive battles, monsters and cute bunny rabbits, but will the Evil Queen be stopped? The 12 rating is appropriate [so take care with younger viewers] for whilst it's a `family' movie, the atmosphere is dark -very dark, and so well done it could upset the more sensitive viewer. A definite ***** despite a few easily overlooked shoddy lines and some script errors.

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