The tale of Snow White is perhaps best known through the classic Disney animation, but as a Grimm fairy tale, it hints at a darker and more primal origin. The notion of taking a classic tale like this and twisting it into a darker and more adult-themed high fantasy was previously attempted (with arguable results) in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. I suspect that Snow White and the Huntsman delivers the proper goods that Alice failed to. SWatH is dark through and through; it arms its characters with rough and tough steel, and pits them against all kinds of swords and sorcery. There are many visually fantastic moments in this film; some big highlights include some magnificent forest scenery (half of which is dark with lots of scary monsters, and the other half is light with a Princess Mononoke type of vibe), lots of black gothic magic coming from the evil queen (which I loved), and a thrilling battle scene in the end. Admittedly, the film drags in a few spots, but overall it met my expectations.
The story is familiar, as it hits up all the same plot points as the Disney film and fairy tale; it does do a fine job at mixing things around to match up with the new dark aesthetic, and to make it stand on its own as a medieval-themed epic. One could probably spend pages and pages comparing the film to its original source; the most notable and beneficial alterations include adding more back story to the events and the characters. The story does suffer a little for its predictability, its uneven pacing, and for having an underdeveloped romance. I was pretty happy with the character developments, however, and I grew to adore most of them by the film’s end.
The film looks stylish, with mostly-solid photography and quality visuals. Some scenes show some erratic camera shake, but it’s rarely overbearing. Editing is not bad. The acting satisfied; I felt Charlize Theron was perfect as Ravenna; it’s a little to regard Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth without comparing them to their previous roles in Twilight and Thor respectively, but to be fair, they did put on their most earnest effort and brought their characters to life pretty well. The dwarf characters are fun to watch. Writing is not bad. This production has excellent sets, props, costumes, and special effects; it’s especially noteworthy for capturing the appropriate medieval setting to accentuate the film’s dark aesthetic. Music is good; the score had some great moments, and I was enjoying the end credits theme song.
Recommended!
4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Very Good)
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