Snow White and The Huntsman - Review

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN

2012

12A

Directed by Rupert Sanders

Starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth

We’re going to come right out and say it, for a summer blockbuster, Snow White and the Huntsman is an extremely well crafted and entertaining movie. In a twist to this classic fairy tale, a Huntsman (Hemsworth) is ordered to find Snow White (Stewart) and bring her back to the Evil Queen (Theron). Instead of this, the duo joins with the 7 dwarfs in a quest to vanquish the queen and regain the Kingdom to its rightful heir.

For starters, the cast is superb. Kristen Stewart has finally been cast a character with more backbone and substance than Bella Swan, and despite her critics, is perfect as Snow White. Though perhaps not as fair as Charlize Theron, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in her role, leading the knights to war and inspiring battle. Chris Hemsworth essentially plays Thor, only with an axe instead of a hammer! His comedic timing is en pointe and he just about conquered the Scottish accent. A high point of the movie is any of the scenes with the dwarfs. Nick Frost, Ray Winstone and Toby Jones (amongst others) are sadly underwritten but have a very funny British sense of humour. Charlize Theron majorly echoes Tilda Swinton in her icy performance as the powerful queen. Inhumanely beautiful and massively formidable: a lethal combination.

The art direction in this film is breathtakingly dark and strangely beautiful. Twisted forests, gothic castles and expansive beaches seem very Tim Burton-esque and this fairytale is of similar ilk to the remake of Alice in Wonderland. Many scenes seem strangely iconic and some parts feel borrowed from other films, such as The Lord of The Rings, but are heavily stylised. The scenery and tracking shots are absolutely stunning and the film deserves praise for the editing and effects alone. Colleen Atwood’s costume design is unbelievably intricate and beautiful and serves to make the experience even more immersive. This is definitely a movie to be seen in the theatres to full appreciate the outstanding cinematography.

Snow White and The Huntsman is an elegant and inventive take on a classic fairytale which will appeal to all the family – as far as family films go, Snow White is probably your best bet this jubilee holiday. Given the movie is a little over 2 hours it is incredibly well paced, rarely drags and is full of entertaining moments. Snow White and The Huntsman is a definite recommendation!

Rating: 8  










5 comments:

  1. Somehow, this movie is still in my local theater. It's almost daring me to see it.

    I have a free pass, but there's so many new movies I want to see as well. Hmm.

    Your review is swaying me...

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    1. This one has hung about in theatres for quite a while! It's possibly worth going to see if only for the stunning art direction, it was really impressive. Deciding on what to use the free pass on must be tough!

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Not sure if I liked the film as much as you did, but still a great review. I really like the design of your site, along with including the trailer and some stills with every review.

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    1. I had realised that I enjoyed this movie more than the majority of critics, alas, that is the subjective nature of film! Thank you for your kind comment! :)

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