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Rating: 2.5 out of 5
If you are old like me (I’m not that old), you probably grew up on the Disney version of Snow White and Seven Dwarves. The tale of the evil witch and the magic mirror. The evil Queen asks who is the fairest in all the land, only for Snow White to be named. You know the story of the apple and the great songs. Many people and kids today know that tale. It was a great cartoon movie that won an Academy Award and was presented with seven little statues. Sorry, I’m getting off track; in 2012, there was a retelling of the story. Something more gritty, violent but tried to keep most of the same elements of Snow White, the evil Queen, a poison apple. The film was meh, but it is different from the animated version.
Snow White and the Huntsman begins when Queen Eleanor admires a bright red rose blooming during the white winter snow. Upon touching the rose, one of the thorns pricks her finger. Upon three drops of blood falling to the snow-covered ground, the Queen wishes for her daughter to have pale ass skin, lips of ruby red, and hair as black as night but a heart that is as strong as the rose blooming in the winter. The Queen gives birth to Snow White but dies. King Magnus grieves for his wife but must protect his land from an army of glass-like soldiers. The king finds a BEAUTIFUL woman named Ravenna (Theron) and is instantly smitten by the woman. On his wedding night, the king marries Ravenna only to learn that she is a powerful sorceress who used the glass-like soldiers to invade the kingdom and gain control. Ravenna kills the king and claims his lands as her own. Ravenna imprisons Snow White (Stewart) and depletes the kingdom after a few years while draining the youth of young girls. Ravenna asks the Magic Mirror about her beauty, only for the mirror to tell her that Snow White is destined to destroy her unless she consumes the girl’s heart and, in the process, will make her immortal. When Snow White escapes the castle and travels into the forest, Queen Ravenna brings a Huntsman (Hemsworth) to track down and bring her back. In doing so, Queen Ravenna will bring back the Huntsman’s wife from the dead. The Huntsman tracks down Snow White only to learn that the Queen lied to him and decides to become her protector. During their travels, The Huntsman and Snow White meet the eight dwarfs that bring them to the magic Fairytale Land. As Snow White builds an army, will she be able to get back what she has lost and bring down the evil Queen?
I don’t know how I feel about this film. It is not great, but it is not bad also. It is meh. I like the darker tone of the film. It goes way in the opposite direction from being the happy Disney version that many people love and admire. People die in this film, and it is dark. I think the goal of this film was to be what the original story was. If you ever read Snow White, it is dark, along with the Little Mermaid and other fairy tales that people come to love. I think that the primary goal of this film was to be one with elements of the original but also had a little happiness in the end.
In this, Snow White becomes a warrior. She swings her sword around and is unafraid to get her hands dirty. She wants to get revenge on the Queen for taking everything from her. Hey, revenge is always a great motivation for the main character. The story of the Huntsman is far different and an interesting concept. When he is first shown on the screen, he is a complete drunk, living in grief over his wife’s death. He is a tortured soul. It felt like I had seen this motivation for a character before. You want someone to do something for you; you bring back a loved one even though it never works out.
Hell, even the seven dwarves were different. I think there were eight dwarves, but one actually got killed in this film. There may have been more, but I can’t remember. They felt off and different in this film. They were funny at moments and serious at others, but there was something about them that I really didn’t like. It could be because they didn’t have the names of their cartoon counterparts. I really can’t put my finger on it. They were okay but could have been more memorable. Maybe that is why they titled the film Huntsman rather than Seven Dwarves.
I will say that keeping up with the tone of the evil Queen, this film went to the next level with its portrayal of the Queen. Queen Ravenna is straight-up evil and beautiful. She slaps the hell out of her brother and kills anyone that gets in her way. She also has a bit of Elizabeth Báthory by draining young girls of their beauty for staying young. I loved the evil Queen when she came on the screen because she was beautiful but also deadly and evil. She was the prime villain in this film.
I want to give props to the costume design and visual effects. They were the two highlights of this film. The magic mirror was something to look at in the visual effects area. Rather than being a face in a mirror, it transformed into a standing golden figure with a deep and menacing voice. Also, when Queen Ravenna uses her powers, you get a feel for how powerful and great her powers are. When she makes soldiers or anything, she does it on an epic scale. The costume design is also top-notch. The Queen sure did stroll up in some beautiful and sexy outfits. You can command me any day of the week in those outfits.
As far as the acting goes, the film is carried by it. First, Kristen Stewart as Snow White was okay. I really enjoyed her, even if she has that monotone performance and execution about her. Sometimes, she seems uninterested in her role, which comes off as meh.
Chris Hemsworth as Eric the Huntsman was really good, and I enjoyed his performance. As Eric, he was a drunk and a widower. He was funny at times, but Hemsworth showed the pain and suffering that Eric was going through in life. In the end, he became a valiant protector and got his shit together in the end.
Charlize Theron as Queen Ravenna was honestly the best part of the whole film. You watch this film for Theron and her performance. Is it Academy Award-worthy? Hell naw, but as the evil Queen, Theron made sure to show Ravenna worthy of the name. She was sadistic, violent, and brutal and did everything in her evil power to be the most beautiful person in all the world. I could watch her strut around and command all day long.
Snow White and the Huntsman is one of those films you will either enjoy or hate. It is right in the middle, and in my eyes, just meh. The visual effects and performances are the highlights of this film. The story is dark and tries to go back to the origin of being something that scares children at night. “Magic mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all?”
