Snow White & The Huntsman

Two days, two film reviews - you lucky so-and-so's!

For the first time in a while I actually made it to a write-in this Saturday, waking up despite my need for a lie-in and got a bit of planning work done for one of the novels, this is the one that I started back in uni and is in serious need of an ending and a better plan - Saturday I came up with one, or at least one for the first book (this could be an epic if all the ideas come through!). After that I toyed with the idea of going to the Strawberry Fair but the laziness was returning and the prospect of a couple of hours watching a film appealed, so it was off to see 'Snow White and the Huntsman'...

*the review, which may contain spoilers, follows*






Well after the sci-fi epicness of 'Prometheus' on Friday it seemed that it should be matched by a bit of fantasy on Saturday, and I am happy to say it was.

There are two movies for this year featuring Snow White, the first was 'Mirror, Mirror', a light-hearted and uneven romp with some good comedy from Julia Roberts and Armie Hammer but not a whole lot else. I'm happy to report that, for me at least, 'Snow White and the Huntsman' was a superior film and a much more enjoyable watch, a few pacing issues aside.

This is the 'dark' version of the tale, if you will (personally an evil queen wanting to cut out of the heart of a young princess sounds pretty dark in any case...) and it revels in it, sticking with it throughout and, aside from a few comic moments, it keeps to it very well, even when bringing in the more fantastical elements of the story. Compared to 'Mirror, Mirror' it's a grubbier movie as well, the dark forest, swamp and the castle are gothic places, with dark stone and black mud covering the scenery - yet somehow it looks better, the scenes may be dark but there's a stark beauty there to be beheld, particularly in the landscapes they've chosen to shoot in (at one point I'm sure it's the same as 'Prometheus').

There is a lot of CGI, as you would need when you're in a fairy tale land, but it's all really nicely done - the creatures of the forest are superb and the troll scene in particular was very nicely done. More importantly, despite the amount it's not overused - there's very real sword fights going on (the 'glass army' in the trailer is not a major feature) and they're the best I've seen in a while - the choreography has been properly thought out and everyone's getting stuck in - apparently Kristen Stewart gave Chris Hemsworth a black eye during the filming of one fight.

That brings me to the cast and again I was a bit doubtful at first but watching I found they all fit their roles well, kudos especially to the squad of British dwarves (Brian, son of Brendan, Gleeson as the '8th' dwarf was the standout for me). Kristen Stewart is a strong Snow White but she also gives out the kindness that you need for the character, confessing at one point to feel pity for the evil Queen Ravenna. She's played by Charlize Theron in a role that's far better for her than in 'Prometheus' (there's a serious bundle of links between the two!) with some proper speech time and even the chance for a bit of ass-kicking near the end. Chris Hemsworth completes the main cast with his thick-accented Huntsman acting as Snow White's reluctant companion and eventual ally in the fight against the Queen. He's at his best in the fight scenes (though his style is suitably different to that in 'Thor'/'The Avengers') but also some of the quieter moments, recalling the death of his wife and keeping vigil with the poisoned Snow White after a certain incident with an apple (something 'Mirror, Mirror' bypassed almost entirely).

A word now for the supporting cast, and that words is awesome. From the eight dwarves who are a line-up of Brit nobility (Hoskins, Winstone, Frost, McShane, Marsan, Jones, Harris and Gleeson - they're not royalty!) to the well-placed Vincent Regan as Duke Hammond, the king and Snow's ally and the leader of the rebellion against the Queen. There's also some sterling work from Sam Claflin as William, Snow's childhood friend who disobeys his father (Duke Hammond) to go hunting for her and joins up with her unlikely band of heroes in the final fight against the Queen.

A final mention now for my favourite part of any film - the soundtrack - and I was not let down at all here. James Newton Howard takes on the task and he's produced a great one. The strings swoop and flow with scenic shots, the fight and chase scenes are punctuated by thumping percussion and strong fanfares - and it's all very complimentary to them, at no point did I think the music was out of place. It also has some very distinct themes as well, Snow White's in particular I found quite memorable - and oddly familiar (in a good way it reminds me of the first 'Chronicles of Narnia' theme).

So overall I'm happy to recommend this one for general consumption, it's got some of the best action sequences I've seen for a while and the proper focus on the fantasy world it's set in, all-in-all everything a grim(m) fairytale should be.