It's a story we all know well. Hell, we just had it told to us in movie form mere weeks ago in a breezier version called MIRROR MIRROR. But I can honestly say, I've never seen the Snow White story told in which the heroine puts on a suit of armor, takes up arms, and starts hacking and stabbing away at people. I kind of like that idea, if only to radically alter to familiar story and make it fresh and unpredictable. In theory.
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN gets a lot right in its bleak, surprisingly dark tale, beginning and ending with just how gorgeous the film looks—both the scenery and the special effects. The tale opens with Snow White as a child and her happy parents, the king and queen of this land. But after the mother dies, the inconsolable father meets Ravenna (Charlize Theron, played to the last row of the balcony), who tricks the king into marrying her and then turns around and kills the poor man and steals his youth. Much like the other recent version of the evil Queen, Ravenna is literally a soul-sucking witch who absorbs youth and beauty to stay young herself.
For reasons that are never made clear, Ravenna allows Snow White to live, albeit in a tower prison where she grows up to be Kristen Stewart. The Queen is assisted by her albino-looking brother Finn (Sam Spruell), and there are even hints that there may be a somewhat incestuous relationship afoot (I told you this shit got dark). In a moment of desperation when her supply of young beauties to drain grows short, Raveena calls for Snow White. Finn decides to molest Snow White a little (I told you!) before taking her to his sister, and she fights back and escapes in the Dark Forest, which provides Snow White (and us) with quite a few terrifying moments.
The Queen enlists the help of one of the few men in the kingdom who knows how to navigate the forest, a drunken, grieving huntsman played by Chris Hemsworth, whose wife has recently died. As you'd expect, once Hemsworth and Snow White meet, he decides he's on the wrong side of this fight and helps her escape the Queen's men, led by Finn.
Their odyssey provides some of the film's finest and most visually stunning moments, and I'm guessing that has something to do with first-time director (and visual stylist and commercial director) Rupert Sanders, who paints the frame with creatures I've never seen quite like this before that seems to be a combination of familiar animals melded with nature. This vision of a fairyland reminds us that this is not simply a sword-and-armor movie, but an actual fantasy adventure that has shots and ideas which seem lent from THE LORD OF THE RINGS films, the CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and other works with a sweeping scope.
Of course, the seven dwarves are here, and the biggest surprise there (at least for me) was the caliber of actor they got to play these characters, including the likes of Bob Hoskins, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, Ray Winstone, Ian MacShane and Nick Frost. I had no idea these actors were in this movie, and the visual effects that convert these full-size men into dwarves is incredible and seamless.
But perhaps even more shocking is just how disturbing SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN was willing to go at times. The swordplay is largely bloodless, but moments like the king's death are still pretty shocking. More troubling (I don't mean that as a negative, by the way) is when Snow White and the Huntsman stumble upon a small village occupied only by women of various ages wearing scarves across their faces. At first you think it's for modestly, but it is revealed that the woman (and children) have actually self-mutilated their faces to remove their beauty and make them less of a target for the Queen. Holy shit.
Eventually, Snow White and her protector gather enough of a following (thanks in large part to discovering that she may have some degree of magic about her) that they are able to form an army and attack the Queen in her castle. Among those in Snow White's guard is her childhood friend William (Sam Claflin), who is the closest thing to a love interest she gets, although some may argue that the Huntsman is more in love with her.
In many ways, I admired SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN for its ambition. Add to that a great number of strong performances, and you have yourself a solid summer movie. The reason that isn't completely the case is Stewart, who seems to barely be keeping up with the proceedings, especially in the more action-oriented moments. I happen to be someone who thinks Stewart is a very good actress (if you ignore the TWILIGHT movies), but I think she's the wrong choice for a battle-ready Snow White.
In one scene, she gives what is meant to be a rousing speech to her followers before going into battle, and it just plain falls flat. Christ, she had Thor standing right next to her; she should have let him rally the troops. Stewart fares better in the film's quieter moments or pretty much anytime she isn't carrying a weapon. I get why they cast her; it just doesn't work. And her tepid performance was enough to knock my feelings on the film down a peg or two. But if you find Kristen Stewart too irresistible for words or can somehow overlook her lack of any type of leadership vibe, you may find yourself enjoying this somewhat worthy entry in the fantasy genre.
