Rant and Rave Reviews

Snow White and the Huntsmen – Comic-Con – July 23, 2011 (Photo credit: starbright31)

Snow White and the Huntsman

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron

Writers: Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, Hossein Amini

Director: Rupert Sanders

Viewed: Thursday 28 June 2012 @ Event Cinemas, Indooroopilly, Brisbane.

Hollywood continues it’s trend of similarly themed simultaneous releases with the second Snow White feature of the year, Snow White and The Huntsman.

Earlier in the year Mirror Mirror brought a more comedic, panto element to the traditionally…kind of bleak Snow White story, while Snow White and the Huntsman (SWATH) returns to the more serious tone usually associated with the tale of the Princess (Stewart) imprisoned and ultimately poisoned by her murderous, psychotic Stepmother, the Evil Queen (Theron).

I’m still not quite sure what to think of SWATH. I liked it better than Mirror Mirror (which I didn’t mind), but that’s just comparing it to another Snow White movie. As a movie on it’s own I could probably find more things I didn’t really like about it than I did.

For example, I was enjoying the darker way the story was being told. Loved the cold, grey tone that covered the magical land I was visiting. Yes, Stewart was a bit of a distraction. She’s really just quite shit in everything she does now. The woman seems to be able to show little emotion other than closing her eyes, breathing heavily and heaving her chest. Despite that, Snow stumbling into the Dark Forrest was , and the relentless hunt for her by the crazy-arse Queen kept the tension up. Then suddenly I got whip lash by the abrupt change as Snow met the Dwarfs Eight (a spot-the-celebrity array of non-little actors made to look like Dwarfs. A decision that apparently angered some little actors like Warwick Davis) and enters some kind of oasis inside the Forrest. I mean, this scene is obviously supposed to be an homage to the original Disney animated film, but to me it just seems to have no place inside this film. It’s just a bit too cute and bright and quaint. It’s transition in to the next scene certainly returns us to the more general feel of the movie, but I just wasn’t a fan.

Also, while I did like the different take on the Queen/Mirror relationship, I’m not quite sure if Theron’s performance was brilliant or just OTT. Her Queen is certainly evil, sucking the very youth out of her female subjects, sometimes the crazy just seemed a little extreme. Rupert Sanders’ obvious obsession with birds became a little tedious towards the end as well.

The best performance, by far, came from Chris Hemsworth. This guy seems to be Australia’s next “big thing” in Hollywood and is just going from strength to strength. His Huntsman is troubled and angry and not your usual hero. He has to compete with the Prince Charming-like William (played by Sam Claflin) but the character is completely useless (could of even been completely cut from the movie with little consequence) and it’s really no competition at all.

Don’t get me wrong, SWATH has some great effects, some fun moments, some enjoyable violence and a little romance that isn’t too sappy, but in the end I left wanting a bit more. This one gets 2 ½ Rant and Rave Points.

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