Snow White and the Huntsman
11.06.2012
This gloomy version of the fairytale aims to be modern and dramatic, but the result is only partially successful. This is quite a scary film, and no children under the age of 12 should be allowed to watch it.
Plot
Most people know the tale of Snow White. A young and beautiful princess loses her mother, and her father – the king – marries a new and stunning queen. The new queen kills the king, takes the throne and puts Snow White in captivity. In this film, we are introduced to a dark and gloomy world. Snow White is kept prisoner in a filthy tower, and, as she manages to escape, she ends up getting high on mushrooms in the Dark Forrest, where evil forces make sure only a few survive.
Fortunately, Snow White is rescued by a brave huntsman, and the fairytale wouldn’t have been the same without the dwarfs and their colourful personalities. Along with her good helpers and her childhood friend William, Snow White takes up the fight against her wicked stepmother. A merciless war ensues, where many sacrifices have to be made to save the once ever so wonderful kingdom. In addition, some problems with an apple and a need for a magic kiss do occur; though, that’s hardly a surprise.
Quality and Theme
Presenting a dark and gloomy interpretation of a fairytale that is best known in its Disney version is an exciting concept. And the film starts off well. Even though you know that the new queen will turn out to be evil, Charlize Theron acts so convincingly charming that you are caught by surprise when her pure evil nature surfaces. Even better, the film presents us with a sound psychological explanation as to why the queen has become so terribly evil, making it easier to understand why the gentle hearted Snow White feels sorrow for her.
Unfortunately, the story soon gets an episode-like feel. Snow White and the huntsman move through various milieus; though, the only similarity between the sequences is the fact that, at some point, the queen’s men come galloping in, trying to capture Snow White.
When it comes to the characters, Snow White is portrayed as pure hearted, though she lacks some charm. The huntsman is the typical (and unoriginal) hero who is not afraid of battle, but still struggles with a tragic past. The dwarfs are a fun bunch; though, the humorous potential of the characters is not fully exploited. As mentioned earlier, the queen is an exciting character at first; however, in the end she ends up being nothing more than a screaming and one-dimensional hag.
There are a couple of silly scenes in the film, such as the one where Snow White meets a giant deer, which is a completely ridiculous imitation of Aslan the lion from the Narnia films.
”Snow White and the Huntsman” tries to be more grand than the original fairytale, but in the end, the film ends up huffing and puffing – without blowing the door down. If the filmmakers had abandoned the “pre-teen gloomy” concept, and produced an even darker and sexier version only suitable to over-15s, this could have been quite a thrilling film.
Suitability
There are several scary sequences, and no children younger than the age of 12 should be allowed to watch the film. We get to see evil spirits and melting skin in the Dark Forrest, girls who get their youth sucked out of them by the terrifying queen, as well as several brutal battle scenes and murders. The violence is never explicit; however, the combination of swift camera movements and loud, dramatic music will undoubtedly disturb some teenagers.
Conclusion
Exciting concept; still, its potential remains untapped.
Facts
Director: Rupert Sanders Genre: Action, Drama, Adventure Actors: Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Ian McShane, Sam Claflin, Ray Winstone, Stephen Graham, Toby Jones, Bob Hoskins, Lily Cole, Eddie Marsan, Sam Spruell and more Language: English Nationality: USA Running time: 2h 7mins Production Year: 2012 Age Limit: 12A Suitability: Young people / Adults BBFC’s Consumer Advice: Contains moderate violence and threat.
Our Assessment: OK
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And this is what our SuperClubbers think...
“There’s an interesting trend to make more grown up and challenging version of the old fairy tales. Interesting, because in their day they were scary! Now they are getting scary sign. I think I like it!” – Robert, SuperClubber
