Snow White and the Huntsman

A mirror with no taste (Kristen more beautiful than Charlize; how could the screenwriters think that somebody would believe such nonsense?), visually well done, solid tempo, a lot of action, wasted dwarfs (such a cast and then they just get one proper scene), a couple of necrophilic kisses, one lesbian kiss and no kiss out of true love… And that is maybe the biggest (and not by far the only) mistake; you can feel the lack of feeling here and that was, is and always will be an crucial problem in a fairytale. Despite all its likability, it’s simply cold and that’s a shame, because otherwise for this Snow White – a successor of the fantasy genre so popular and wide-spread mainly in the 80’s, I would have had only words of praise. (04/06/2012)

I was looking forward to Snow White and the Huntsman. I am always looking forward to a fantasy. And it’s even more pleasant when I see it’s the director’s first proper movie. Hats off for the imagination of the Snow White’s world. I really liked that. Even though it was narrated well, the story was a routine one. In fact, the whole movie is really obvious and if you know the original story and can imagine it in the form of a narrative fantasy story like Lord of the Rings, the result will look like this movie. Kirsten Stewart could finally stop staring open-mouthed at everyone around her, but that was about the only flaw I could find with the actors. They performed their best and that is a good thing. Next time it would be better with less digital effects. The two castles could definitely have been made less monumental and more real to give the fantasy movie the realistic feel it deserves. At least in that respect. (25/04/2013)

This film holds together thanks to Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart, who are not only nice to look at and turn in decent performances, but are also great casting choices. The same applies to the other actors, from Sam Spruell’s Breivik-like villain to a group of dwarves, among which at least Ray Winston can only be recognized by his voice. Surprisingly, Chris Hemsworth, as the Huntsman, gets very little space given that he plays one of the titular characters and his relationship with Snow White doesn’t work too well (once again, given that it’s the title of the film). The dwarves’ lack of humor is also surprising. The film is excellent in the first third, which is dominated by the deliciously evil and cold Charlize Theron (Eva Green’s cold bitch from Dark Shadows can’t hold a candle to her). Overall, the film is not flat, it has a certain drive, is engaging and full of fantasy charm and darkness. The great visuals and J. N. Howard’s soundtrack are not surprising, as they were to be expected. The Lord of the Rings inspiration probably cannot be avoided, but the references to The NeverEnding Story were a nice surprise and suggest that the screenplay of the latter film’s Hollywood remake is already taking shape on someone’s desk in the city of angels. The film is too long; its second half should have been shorter and more dynamic. Overall, however, it’s still better than the childish The Chronicles of Narnia or the plastic Golden Compass. (24/05/2012)

The awesomely beautiful Charlize and her initial intro get you almost immediately. And they don’t leave you for the entire movie. Sanders has a firm director’s hand, superb visuals (beautiful when required, dirty if needed) and everything ticks over nicely. The production design looks appropriately high-flown and has the requisite Lord of the Rings gilding. Kristen is great, but it seemed to me that he spoke too little for the main protagonist and draws very little attention to himself. Chris Hemsworth rocks again in the role of an inebriated hunter with a troubled past, and the meticulously cast dwarves were welcome and added a pile of laughs. Howard’s music is a pleasure to listen to. This is more or less what I had imagined it was going to be. Hail the Queen! (14/06/2012)

A spectacular thing and surprisingly quite entertaining. Visually it is very attractive and captivating. Kristen Stewart has finally escaped her role in Twilight and showcases a confident performance. The plot is solidly tangled, the pacing is just right, and you don’t have much room to get bored. It may not become a classic, nor is it a timeless thing, but a sequel would certainly not be a bad idea, and I was surprised by the precision with which they tackled it from a formal perspective. Visually more daring than, for example, the latest Jackson's Hobbit. (23/05/2013)