Friday, June 1, 2012

Snow White and the Huntsman

The Queen has her King the fairest daughter in all the land, but following Her Majesty's death, a great darkness has washed over him and his kingdom. When an army of inanimate creatures lays siege, the King defeats them in battle and frees their prisoner, a beautiful woman who temporarily frees him of his sorrows. Soon he makes her his Queen and is murdered for his troubles at which point his daughter is removed to the tower holding cell. Soon, the beautiful Snow White has escaped to the Dark Forest, and the wicked Queen sics a skilled huntsman to retrieve her, knowing that she is the key to her own immortality. "Snow White and the Huntsman" is a serviceable adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale told in a dark and pretty violent manner. Some reviewers have praised the film for its breathtaking visuals although, while they are occasionally stunning, they suffer from the same cheap digital look that has plagued many recent films. Still, this is fairly enjoyable entertainment with Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth game in lead roles (I thought Charlize Theron, who sports a British accent as the villain, was off) and a slew of British character actors (Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, Nick Frost, Ray Winstone, Johnny Harris, Brian Gleeson) cast as the dwarfs. Also, the final siege on the Queen's Castle can only be described as rollicking. I think it was the look of the film that bothered me, and the thought of what could have been a much fairer film.  Instead we are given just a fair treatment thanks to the use of the now overrun digital format.