Movie Review: Snow White and the Huntsman

Seems there have been a lot of fairy tale remakes of late and The Grimm's Brother's Tale of Snow White is no exception.  First, Mirror, Mirror, and now Snow White and the Huntsman.  Mirror, Mirror was more of a humorous, light-hearted movie that kids will enjoy.  Snow White and the Huntsman is darker, more in keeping with Grimm's work in it's original form.  It is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sensuality.  For these reasons, and for the complex story line, I don't recommend it for kids.  If they aren't bored and restless, they might be frightened.

I won't go into great detail about this story.  Most everyone knows the story of Snow White.  The movie follows the story quite well.

One difference I had not anticipated is the glimpse into the evil queen's background.  She's not just "evil", she's wounded, a sociopath (and so is her brother), a product of a severely impoverished and violent childhood, AND, sort of the victim of a beauty/power spell. There were actually a few times I almost felt sorry for her.  Charlize Theron plays this complex role admirably.

Chris Hemsworth plays the huntsman, but I can't separate him from his role as Thor.  Maybe the two roles came too close together or the characters are too similar.  He is adorable, though  Likewise, Kristen Stewart's portrayal of Snow White is still very "Bella-ish".  She's adorable as well.  They did good jobs, but it just seemed like I had already seen these characters in their last films.  I'm not sure if that's type-casting or their ability to act better.  I honestly don't know, so I'm not judging, just noticing.

The special effects are cool and the pace is engrossing.  The costuming, scenery and cinematography are stunning.  The budget was $170 million and grossed approx $56.2 its opening weekend.

I was never bored and I enjoyed the movie a lot.  In my opinion, Charlize Theron steals the show.  I've never seen the evil queen garner snippets of sympathy, but I felt them...briefly.