Snow White and the Huntsman

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I know, I know, I should be writing—chapter fourteen to be precise—but I need to get thoughts of Snow White and the Huntsman out of my head before I start typing away.

I love watching movies, for those of you who are new to this blog or are passing by. I have countless posts professing my love for the silver screen. I can’t go a week without watching a movie. It’s part of my routine.

This week, I got a chance to sit down and watch Snow White and the Huntsman. Second movie based on the Snow White fairytale out this year. Big trend—fairytales.

I digress.

I was excited for this latest incarnation. The buzz promised a darker version of the beloved tale. And who was I to shy away from something dark? So, with my iced tea in hand and shawl wrapped around my shoulders because the theater was a little nippy, I waited for the movie to start.

For the most part, I appreciated what the producers wanted for this film. I commend the movie makers for taking the Snow White tale to a High Fantasy level. The visuals were stunning. Almost reminiscent of Lord of the Rings. So, fans of that franchise, will want to see this one.

The journey aspect didn’t sit well with me, though. As with all high fantasy, there is always a journey the main character takes to get to his or her destination, which usually entails taking back what was stolen: power, kingdom, etc. And during this journey, said main character picks up allies along the way while the villain does everything in his or her power to stop main character. This, in its most general sense, is what happens in Snow White and the Huntsman. Those of you expecting the traditional story have been warned. It’s almost like the story was JRR Tolkien’s take on the fairytale only no one knows he ever wrote about it. Maybe because he wouldn’t be too proud of the outcome.

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The movie wasn’t that bad, believe me, despite what I write here. This is just me rambling on to make sense of want I’ve seen. I guess what turned me off ultimately was the Mononoke Hime reference in the movie involving the white stag and the bright forest. Where in the world would Snow White encounter a white stag? Well, maybe if in the Disney Universe Snow White stumbled into Bambi’s movie for a bit. Is there something I’m missing from the fairytale? Fans of the anime will not be very happy. 

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What I liked most about the film? Charlize Theron as the evil queen. That’s an Oscar winning actress for you. She played the role to perfection. Girl who turns into evil psychotic queen because all her mother wanted to do was save her. This alone is worth seeing the movie for. And the costumes she gets to wear? Just magnificent. I have to applaud the costume designer, even if the rest of the cast had to keep repeating what they were wearing while the queen had a different dress on in every scene.

The ending I found to be anti-climactic. The build up was so big that when the climax came along, I was holding my breath for something spectacular. This is where the high fantasy falls on its face. I don’t think they had enough extras to play a proper army storming a castle. The big battle to take back the kingdom wasn’t so big. And the transition between Snow White being innocent to her wearing armor and wielding a sword leading an army wasn’t clear at all. How could someone kept in a tower for years have any form of sword training? It boggles my mind.

And at its core, Snow White is a love story. Remember, only true love’s kiss can break the spell. Fleeting glances, some witty banter, and a drunken soliloquy isn’t enough to justify true love’s kiss. I wish there was more. Even the “love triangle” was half baked to nonexistent at best. I’m a romantic. I love cheesy. I can cry at the drop at a hat while watching romantic scenes. But I’m not that gullible to accept what happened in the movie.

So, should you go see it? For the visuals, of course. For the story, don’t get your hopes up. You already know the fairytale, this is a spin on it, so don’t expect twists. Appreciate the theatrics put into the movie and you’ll walk out not too disappointed. It’s not a total waste.

Okay, I’ve written my piece. Now, it’s back to work for me.