Snow White and The Huntsman DVD Review

By Kam Williams    

Kristen Stewart Stars in Trendy Overhaul of Beloved Grimm's Fairytale

Snow White and the Huntsman stars Bella Swan, I mean, Kristen Stewart, of Twilight series fame, opposite Chris Hemsworth, the hunky heartthrob who plays Thor in the Marvel Comics franchise. But it's Charlize Theron who turns in the picture's sole dynamic performance as Queen Ravenna, a vain villainess in constant need of reassurance that she's still "the fairest of them all" from her magical mirror.

Like a bloodsucking vampire, she preserves her #1 status by literally draining the youth out of all of her comely competition. The narcissistic grand dame keeps Snow imprisoned in a dungeon with plans to suck the life out of her as soon as the blossoming beauty comes of age.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Somehow, the spunky girl escapes, taking refuge in the forest following a spectacular mountaintop plunge down a waterfall reminiscent of Harrison Ford's iconic scene in The Fugitive. Meanwhile, back at the castle, the miffed monarch dispatches Eric the Huntsman to track down and slay Snow White. However, the widowed warrior shifts loyalties as soon as he sets eyes on her and wises up about evil Ravenna's true nature.

Directed by Rupert Sanders, Snow White and the Huntsman is an emotionally-flat, special effects-driven affair, its incessant display of technical wizardry, notwithstanding. Unfortunately, the film simply fails to measure up to the other Snow white adventure also released this year, Mirror Mirror, despite the presence of ingénue of the moment Kristen Stewart.

A brazenly-blasphemous overhaul of Snow White designed to exploit the trendy vampire formula.

Very Good (2.5 stars)

Rated PG-13 for intense violence and brief sensuality.

Running time: 128 minutes

Distributor: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

2-Disc -Ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Feature Commentary with director Rupert Sanders, an editor and the visual f/x supervisor; A New Legend Is Born; Reinventing the Fairy Tale; Citizens of the Kingdom; The Magic of Snow White and the Huntsman; Around the Kingdom: 360 Degree Tour; Universal's Second Screen; digital copy; pocket BLU App; BD-Live and more.

Trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman:

To order a copy of the Snow White and the Huntsman Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005LAIHSQ/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the African-American Film Critics Association, and the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee. Contact him through NewsBlaze. Read more reviews by Kam Williams.