Review: Snow White & the Huntsman (Movie)

As many of you know, I love fairy tale retellings, so it was a no-brainer that I was looking forward to seeing the movie Snow White & the Huntsman.

For whatever reason, I missed the movie in the theaters, but now I'm glad I waited because the BluRay, DVD, digital, and UltraViolet Combo Pack of the film was released this week, which contains both the theater edition and the extended version of the movie. The BluRay disc also includes several exclusive special features, for example, "Reinventing the Fairytale" and "The Magic of Snow White & the Huntsman."

The cast is amazing, and a ton of stars appear in the film, such as Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Stewart, Sam Claflin, Ian McShane, and Bob Hoskins. The acting was well done, making the relationships among the characters, especially between Snow White and the Huntsman, believable. The sword fighting and the evil step-mother's magic were pretty intense, but the movie had lighter moments as well.

I loved the sets, which straddled the line between fairy tale and medieval. The forest was appropriately spooky, and the special effects enhanced the fantasy world without pulling you out of the story.

Be aware that this is not the exact same story as told in the animated Disney movie. Snow White & the Huntsman is a grownup reworking of the Brothers Grimm tale. Although the movie retains many of the familiar features, such as the magic mirror and the dwarfs, there are new elements to Snow White's story, which keep the plot fresh.

In the special features on the BluRay disc, the production staff and the cast talk about the development of the screenplay, some of the filming techniques, and the personalities of the characters. All the bonus films are worth watching.

Mr. BFR and I both liked Snow White & Huntsman and are looking forward to the next Snow White movie.

Just in case you don't know how a fairy tale works, Think Jam has provided a terrific guide to help you stay alive. Click on the poster at the right to enlarge it, and you'll learn the seven things you need to avoid as well as what you must seek out if you want to survive long enough to find your happily ever after. Feel free to print yourself a copy so you'll be prepared next time you're chased by an evil queen.

Thanks to Think Jam for the review copy of the film and the graphics in this post.