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Friday, June 1, 2012

Movie Recommendation: Snow White and the Huntsman (Updated)

I have been dying to see this movie ever since I saw the first trailer a few months ago. Everything about the film looked amazing, from the costumes, the set pieces, the music, and the acting. When I made up the list of movies I want to see this summer, this one was at the top of the list.  I've been dying for a good solid fantasy film with a female lead.

Also,  I absolutely love Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth. Up until recently, I was meh about Kristen Stewart, but mostly because of her portrayal of Bella Swan. The joke around our house is that she was constantly high in order to play the character correctly.

So last night I headed out to the midnight showing with my hubby and Kody Boye.  My husband was dragged along, but Kody and I were dying to see the movie. Nearly two and a half hours later, we all three agreed the movie was quite good. I loved it. Kody declared it "Excellent."

This new movie proves that Kristen Stewart can act and very well. She only had a few moments of looking high (I think it's her natural state or something), but overall she put in a very good performance. I was immediately drawn into her portrayal of Snow White. I loved her grit and determination throughout the film. At first she's just trying to survive, but later she evolves into a worthy queen-in-the-making for her people.

Chris Hemsworth ends up playing a character we've seen before.  He reminded me a bit of Han Solo, but he really delivers a solid performance as a man who is mourning the death of his wife  by indulging in fights and ale. Though the character is one we know well, Chris Hemsworth does a great job playing the Huntsman. You sympathize with his loss and understand how far into despair he fell when he lost his wife.  One particular scene had me reduced to tears. His delivery of a very emotional scene was perfect. Also, he's beautiful to look at and I loved his action sequences. He made a great hero.

Charlize Theron is so great as Ravenna, the evil queen. She's terrifying, compelling, and at times just a tad sympathetic. This easily could have been a one note role, but she brings more to it than you'd expect.  The glimpses we have of her origins lay the foundation for her obsession with beauty, cruelty, and ambition. Her relationship with her brother was an interesting side note that gave her more depth. She's just perfect in every way in this role.  I also want to state that every outfit she wore was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. I especially loved her raven feather cloak.


Sam Claflin plays Willian, sort of the "Prince Charming" role. He's Snow White's childhood friend and the son of a Duke. Since he wasn't heavily advertised in the previews, I didn't know how exactly he was going to fit into the narrative. I actually liked what they did with his character quite a bit.  He had some great action sequences and he serves as a more noble counterweight to the Huntsman.  One of the things I did like about the movie was that the two men did not immediately regard each other as rivals and worked well together to serve their future Queen.

Edited to Add:

Specific Things I Liked


1. Snow White is not a fragile little thing. She fights back as soon as she gets a chance and frees herself. She is a fighter. I loved that.


2. No obvious love triangle. Yes, there are emotional bonds formed and it is obvious that one of the lead characters loves the other to the audience at one point, but it comes across as the natural way people interact with one another.

3. The magic and supernatural elements. I loved how the fantastical elements of the story were played out. Not only are magical aspects of the story beautiful (or frightening), but they fit within the world.

4. The acting is good! I believed in all the characters.

5. The dwarves!  I just loved them. Period.

6. The action!  I loved all the action sequences.

All in all the movie is beautiful, well-acted, has a solid plot, and delivers on nearly every level. It's not a fantasy on par with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but it is definitely one of the better offerings in the fantasy genre in quite a long while.

1 comment:

  1. I am so glad you liked this. Been hearing mixed reviews about it. Wanted to let you know I mentioned you on my blog today.
    http://fuonlyknew.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/ive-been-chromed/

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