Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) - Enchanting effects and images despite a couple of flaws - 7/10 (13/06/12)

Snow White and the Huntsman is a classic fantasy movie based on the famous German fairy tale "Snow White" by the Brothers Grimm. The movie is loosely bound on the most important elements of that fairy tale but has not the same dark vibe as the original. This adaption rather convinces with many great images and a couple of breathtaking special effects. Especially the more beautiful moments in the fairy world are very well done and may touch your soul. A lot of animals, dwarfs, fairies and trolls appear in the movie and are all very beautiful to watch and created with a lot of inspiring details. The fantastic elements in this movie are not too childish and in fact quite convincing and mix dark with light elements. This movie can be appreciated by children as well as by adults which isn't the case for recent movies such as The Hunger Games or John Carter that approach a younger audience.

The acting is quite a mixed bag. I really liked the interpretation of the huntsman by a very solid Chris Hemsworth, a charismatic antihero that suffers from the tragic death of his wife and drowns his numerous problems in alcohol. Charlize Theron is as convincing as the evil Queen Ravenna and it's interesting that the movie also portrays her struggles, her tragic faith and the reasons behind her actions. The character is very complex and profound and not simply your usual villain. Ravenna's brother Finn played by Sam Spruell is also another convincing character with multiple facets. Especially the connection between brother and sister are very well portrayed in this feature. From that angle, this movie deserves a lot of positive critics but I disliked the acting of main actress Kristen Stewart as Snow White. She clearly lacks charisma and can't convince next to all these excellent supporting actors. When she becomes the leader of a rebellion or touches the heart of a broken man, she simply isn't convincing. She doesn't have the beauty, the charm and the smartness to fit this role. Her acting was a huge letdown and I would have liked to see someone else portraying that role.

The story itself is no surprise to anyone that has read the fairy tale and it doesn't come close to the dark and poetic original. One thing that truly bothered me is the ending of that movie that ended with a quite ordinary scene and no true conclusion. One would have liked to know what would happen to the kingdom and its citizens, to the charming fantastic characters and to the slightly romantic relationship between Snow White and the Huntsman or her childhood friend William who clearly is in love with her. With ten or fifteen more minutes, this movie could have been more complete, profound and even give a possibility to a sequel but the screenplay finishes on a most ordinary note.

In the end, this movie is very beautiful to watch, includes many charming characters and has almost no lengths as it is very entertaining. The main actress, some plot problems and especially the weak ending keep this movie away from being a truly outstanding blockbuster and doesn't do justice to the fantastic German fairy tale. On the other side, it's another solid fantasy movie this year after John Carter and The Hunger Games and this genre seems to live a quite positive survival this year. I think by the end of the year, this movie won't be among the most outstanding adaptations of old fantasy novels but still be a quite good one.