Snow White and the Huntsman
2012 has been a mixed year for the fantasy movie with some great films as well as some that have been not to good.
But the genre is set to go out on a high as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits the big screen.
So to celebrate the release of the latest Peter Jackson movie we take a look back at some of the fantasy movies that have graced the big screen this year.
- John Carter
John Carter was one of the big projects from Disney this year as the first book in the fictional Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs was adapted for the big screen.
Andrew Stanton was in the director's chair while Taylor Kitsch took on the title role.
The reviews for the movie were mixed and while the film really does look great it really is missing that wow factor.
Stanton comes from an animation background and so the world that he creates really looks fantastic as it is a process he has been through so many times before with animation projects.
But it does suffer from some major pacing issues and the battles and the villain of the piece really just aren't that memorable.
John Carter did recover its $250 million budget at the box office but it was not the box office smash that Disney were hoping for.
- Brave
One of the best movies in this genre this year is Pixar latest animation offering Brave.
It was their first original story in a couple of years after the release of Toy Story 3 and Cars 2 and it really was a breath of fresh air as it was nothing like they had ever released before.
They have depicted Scotland as a magical and enchanting land and they really have brought it to life through animation - it just looks wonderful.
But like all of Pixar's films there is a very human story at it's core and this time around it is the war between mother and daughter.
Brave is up there with the best of the Pixar movie as it is funny and emotional as well as looking spectacular.
- Snow White and the Huntsman
Another great fantasy movie was delivered by Rupert Sanders this summer in the form of Snow White and the Huntsman.
The fairytale movie has proved to be very popular at the box office in recent years and that trend continued with this movie.
The film showed Snow White like never before and it really was a very strong performance from Kristen Stewart - who is supported on the cast list by Chris Hemsworth and Oscar winner Charlize Theron.
There is a real darkness almost gothic feel to this story and it is so great to see Sanders move away from the story that we all know whilst keeping some of the most famous elements.
- Mirror Mirror
While one Snow White movie was a triumph the was well... not so much. Seriously Mirror Mirror is one of the worst movies that I have seen this year.
This is a movie that tries to be funny and exciting and really does fail on all counts - it is just a muggled mess if I am being perfectly honest.
Julia Roberts is the movie's only saving grace and she really has all of the best lines.
The problem with this movie is it doesn't know what it is; is it telling a traditional Snow White tale? Or is it trying to do something new and different? It comes down somewhere in the middle and fails on almost every level.
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
But we are all hoping for better for this genre this week as we return to Middle Earth for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
This is the first of a trilogy of Hobbit movies as Peter Jackson returns to the director's chair.
The movie is an exciting adventure as it follows Bilbo Baggins who journeys to the Lonely Mountain accompanied by a group of dwarves to reclaim a treasure taken from them by the dragon Smaug.
The movie has already broke box office records in New Zealand and is set to be one of the biggest film successes of 2012.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in The Hobbit Snow White John Carter