Snow White and the Huntsman

Name of the review title: Snow White and the Huntsman

Author: James Berardinelli,

Link: http://www.reelreviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=2475

Traditionalists will not find Snow White and the Huntsman, directed by Rupert Sanders, to be a family oriented, “child-friendly” film such as Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves; or even more recently Mirror Mirror directed by Tarsem Singh. Instead, this movie is very close to what I imagine the Brothers Grimm intended when they first published their “Children’s and household tales” back in 1812 ---dark, grim, with a strong moral code--- evil corrupts and will destroy you in the end. I found this review interesting because of the dry wit employed by Mr. Berardinelli that enhances rather than detracts from his review. While his comments are amusing to the reader, they get the point across. One example occurs as he describes the “almost Shakespearean” style of the movie and an overview of the plotline in regards to the actors “The three leads are emotionally damaged and spend a great deal of time trying to work through some issues. All could use a weekly therapy session, but they find ways to compensate”. Another example is Berardinelli’s sarcastic description of Twilight actress Kristen Stewart as “perhaps still experiencing a thespian hang-over from spending so much time appearing in Twilight movies, [Kristen Stewarts acting] is flat. I completely agree. Actress Charlize Theron stole the show---completely believable as a tortured, damaged being who has embraced evil.

I am not sure if I would try to emulate this author’s writing style. I have more research to do before I make a decision regarding my own review. I think it would be difficult to emulate someone else’s wit while writing; it would need to come from the writer’s own life experiences or outlook. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I have seen all three takes on the Brothers Grimm story of Snow White, each stands in its own time and category. I would recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates Fantasy based movie with one caveat---this is definitely NOT a child-friendly movie. The rating is PG-13 for violence and profanity.