Review: Snow White and the Huntsman.

The other day the boyfriend and I went to the cinema and I decided we were going to see Snow White & the Huntsman and I thought as a bit of change I'd do another film review (the last one was Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). And it's spoiler free!

So first up, the main actors! The evil queen was played by Charlize Theron who is absolutely stunning and definitely looks the part, but unfortunately she didn't act all that well. She went from quiet to loud with no shading in between, although I did like the attempt at giving her a back story. Kristen Stewart (the role of Snow White) on the other hand wasn't that bad, although occasionally pulled that angsty Twilight face she is so well known for. Chris Hemsworth as the huntsman was not only very easy on the eyes but also acted pretty well, although his Scottish accent at the beginning during a voice-over was a little funny, thankfully it was better/less noticeable once there was on screen acting involved. The seven dwarfs were good with a few well known faces (in particular Nick Frost of the Hot Fuzz fame) with exception to one who I think was a bit of a sentimental casting, that is to say he wasn't very good at acting but was probably genuinely blind.

As for the look of the film it was very visually pleasing, with some beautiful and atmospheric scenery. I'd say it was like Tim Burton but with less colour and drugs - could definitely tell it was the same team who did Alice in Wonderland. There was one scene is particular I felt they stole (or were 'heavily influenced by') from a studio Ghibli film - Princess Mononoke and through-out the film you could see inspiration had been taken from a few films and books, in particular there was a bit of a Lord of the Rings vibe as well.
The costumes - especially the queen's outfits were nothing short of stunning, think traditional garbs with intricate bird bones and spiked metal as a contemporary twist. It had quite an Alexander McQueen feel to it, in a very good way! CG was also gorgeous, including their interpretation of the 'mirror on the wall' which I loved. In fact generally their attention to detail, be it the creatures in the forest, the costumes or the CG was really very impressive.

And finally the story. It was quite predictable and full of typical 'just in time' moments which means most of Snow White's journey was based on luck. It also took a while for the story to get into a nice rhythm, but I liked seeing so much of the world they were trying to show us. I also feel like some of the weaker parts of the plot were due to the fact that they prioritised visuals and beautiful shots over logical story (e.g. Snow White's main costume which she has on in the castle really doesn't make much sense; beautiful dress plus practical leather trousers and boots?). I felt that the ending was quite forgettable too, but as a general I found it quite enjoyable.

So, in summary! It was a beautiful film but with a slightly one dimensional story that I enjoyed none the less. Definitely go see this film if you want something easy on the mind and gorgeous to look at.