Snow White and the Huntsman
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin
Director: Rupert Sanders
Rating: 4/5
Rupert Sanders makes his big screen directorial debut with his retelling of the popular tale of Snow White.
Kristen Stewart plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Charlize Theron) who is out to destroy her.
But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the one girl threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) who was dispatched to kill her.
We have seen the rise in fairytale movies over the last couple of years but none of them have been as great as Snow White and the Huntsman, yes I even rate this over Alice In Wonderland which I wasn’t a big fan of.
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.
It would have been so easy to make a carbon copy of the original but Snow White and the Huntsman paints the central character in a very different light.
Stewart play Snow White as a much stronger and tougher character than we have seen before and it is great to see her ride in to battle at the end of the movie rather than have a bunch of blokes do it for her.
And she there are some tougher elements to the character there is also an innocence and a pure of heart element that Stewart balances well with the more action side of the role.
This is also another very good role for Hemsworth as the hunter turned protector of Snow White his back story is really well developed, he is a character who is in a world of pain after the death of his wife.
There is a great chemistry between Stewart and Hemsworth as we see their relationship grow and yet it is never in your face or pushed too far.
The whole love aspect that is usually found in these movies is really quite restrained; it is clear that Snow White is torn between the huntsman and William (played by Sam Claflin) but that very much takes a back seat and there is a great ambiguous ending.
But it is Charlize Theron who really steals the show as Queen Ravenna as she devours youth in a bid to stay young herself.
There is always a danger in a movie such as this to take a larger than life character such as Ravenna too far and descend into farce. However Theron is an experienced actress to keep those over the top moments from straying too far.
She is perfectly cast in this role as there is a real menace to her in some scenes and almost vulnerability in others as we do get a small insight into her childhood.
There is a stellar line-up when it comes to the dwarves with the likes of Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone and Ian McShane all cast and they really are just fantastic.
I would have liked to see them a little earlier in the movie but they are a bunch of characters with an extraordinary bond, not to mention they provide quite a lot of the humour in the movie.
It’s hard to believe that Rupert Sanders is a first time director as he has helmed this project with such confidence and assurance.
The film also looks utter fantastic as Sanders has used the scenery of Wales and Ireland to great effect as he has created a very sweeping epic.
Snow White and the Huntsman is a movie that is filled with interesting characters as well as some great performances from the lead cast. Those elements go hand in hand with a movie that looks visually stunning to make a fantastic film that is not to be missed.
Snow White and the Huntsman is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw