SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN
(PG-13)
MOVIE: ** (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
People have heard a lot about “Snow White & the Huntsman” lately, but it has nothing to do with the film. Instead, it’s about the tawdry affair that star Kristen Stewart had with director Rupert Sanders. While I’d rather watch this movie than see these two get it on behind closed doors, the drama in the behind-the-scenes setting is far more interesting than what you see on screen.
“Snow White & the Huntsman” is another adaptation of the Snow White legend, told in a much darker tone than the earlier release “Mirror Mirror.” In this version, Charlize Theron plays the evil queen Ravenna, who imprisons Snow White (Stewart) to eventually take her beauty. When she is left for dead in the haunted forest, a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) comes to her aid with hopes of killing the queen.
“Snow White & the Huntsman” looks gorgeous. The effects are eye-popping, and the production design is amazing. Like a David S. Goyer movie, any scene taken as its own is brilliant. However, as a whole, the movie falls apart. It’s more than the fact that Kristen Stewart has the acting range of an ingrown toenail, and it’s more than the fact she is in now universe fairer than Charlize Theron.
Instead, the movie is overblown with scenery-chewing acting, taking itself far more seriously than it should. Director Sanders has to learn restraint, not just in having sex with his actresses but also in putting together a story. The theatrical cut was long enough, but the extended cut on the Blu-ray is simply more boring and dull. And that’s a shame for such a gorgeous looking movie. But that’s Hollywood, where image is everything and substance is often lacking.
The “Snow White & the Huntsman” Blu-ray has a fine transfer that pops even with how dark the movie is. Of course, strong imagery was never this movie’s problem. The special features include the featurettes “Reinventing the Fairy Tale,” the four-part “Citizens of the Kingdom,” “The Magic of Snow White & the Huntsman” and “Around the Kingdom: 360 Set Tour.”
Blu-ray exclusives include Universal’s Second Screen which allows the viewer to watch bonus content via the pocketBLU app. The disc also includes UltraViolet streaming capabilities and Digital Copy.