Sanders, however, doesn't always know how to piece together those moments into a bigger picture, and the film is a little disjointed; for example, the first act features some winking allusions to the original story's iconic red apple that come out of nowhere. There's also a lot of superfluous material in the middle of the film, used more to show off different locales of this fairy tale than develop character or dramatic tension. Regardless, this Snow White is still a big summer-y action blockbuster with strong feminist undertones, as Snow White is more of a Joan of Arc via Katniss Everdeen figure than the horribly boring girl with that bad haircut from the 1937 Disney classic. Stewart gets a lot of shit from a lot of people, but she has carved out her niche as a new generation's tragically romantic heroine; this oh-so-serious Snow White downplays any big romantic moments, but Stewart fills her Snow with more conviction than she's ever shown as the wry Bella Swan. I am definitely in the minority when I saw that I'm a huge fan of Kristen Stewart, and I think down the road her career will really explode. This is just the beginning.
Chris Hemsworth doesn't have a whole lot to do here (he doesn't even have a real name - just Hunstman, which is kind of sad), but he delivers his emotional scenes with appropriate aplomb. He also adds some light humor, and he has a brief shirtless scene! So you also get that for your $12. Hemsworth does cry really well. Charlize Theron also cries really well. They both only cry a single tear. There is no time for full sobbing in Snow White & the Huntsman, probably because everyone is about to die and doesn't have time to actually cry. Scary. Charlize Theron ultimately owns the movie because Queen Ravenna just doesn't give a fuck. She sucks out the souls of young girls. She eats the beating hearts of dead sparrows with these long metallic fingernail rings. She bathes in milk. She might be 100% mentally insane. Theron chews scenery like an absolute pro, providing sharp-eyed menace without teetering into overplayed camp. Her clothes are also absurd. She is too beautiful. Basically, she's horrifying but I definitely want to kiss her on the lips. I'd complain that we don't get enough of her but her name isn't in the title so I'm not sure if that's really fair.
I can't say much about the obligatory dwarves (we get eight here) because I couldn't really understand what they were saying most of the time. Oh well. I haven't been on board with the new wave of fairy tale recreations; I think ABC's Once Upon A Time is really cheap, and you can definitely slap me if you're a fan - nothing has achieved what the still-running Fables comic book series accomplishes. However, Snow White & The Huntsman is kind of everything I wanted - thrilling, emotional, rich, imaginative, a little scary, a little ridiculous. This is summer! Sure, the third act borrows from every single medieval war epic literally ever, underwriting some of the dark and dangerously inventive material from earlier. So what. I want big-budget CGI and Kristen Stewart riding into battle without a helmet! Losing yourself in spectacle isn't always a bad thing. I'll feel differently by the end of August, but for now, I'm enjoying myself. There might be a better film buried in Snow White, that develops its feminist themes a little more and is guided by a more experienced director, but this film accomplishes what it promised. Now, where's the prequel called Ravenna? B+
