Snow White, imprisoned daughter of the late king, escapes just as the Magic Mirror declares her the source of the Evil Queen’s immortality. The Queen sends her men, led by a local huntsman to bring her back. But upon her capture, the huntsman finds he’s being played and turns against the Queens men, saving Snow White in the process. Meanwhile, Snow’s childhood friend, William, learns that she is alive and sets off to save her.
A fairy tale without undue sentiment. Coarse and rough. Yet heartfelt romantic and aspirational. Generally special effects that are plausible and that do not obfuscate nuance. And solid or better acting. The dwarves are best of all – individuality brought to life by the finest character actors that could be brought on. Charlize Theron is the mad, obsessed, screaming stepmother/queen of whom everyone wishes from the beginning that someone “shoot or stab that witch!” Hemsworth and Stewart both do fine in their leading roles – but again, a lot of the moments that are meant to endear us to their respective characters, or allure us with a “Will they, won’t they?” romantic undercurrent, simply fall flat or are missed entirely.
In the end, “Snow White and the Huntsman” is an entertaining romp with a strong sense of right and wrong. Parents should be warned that the film’s dark tone and excessive bloodshed could be nightmare-inducing for the younger set.
The film contains intense action violence and brutality, scenes of sorcery, and some mild sensuality. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13
