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'Snow White and the Huntsman' did have potential. The trailers looked decent, and Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth and all the actors playing the dwarfs have been responsible for great work in their careers.
However, although she has given good performances outside of 'Twilight', this reviewer doesn't care hugely for Kristen Stewart (though she is not a detractor either) and cares even less for the 'Twilight Saga'. So expectations prior to seeing the film, a live-action re-imagining of the classic fairy tale, were mixed.
Watching it finally at a film night with friends, 'Snow White and the Huntsman' wasn't as bad as feared and does have a good amount going for it, but it should have been much better than it was.
First and foremost, starting with the good assets, the best things about 'Snow White and the Huntsman' are the production values and Charlize Theron. The film is very beautiful to look at, with luscious but also atmospheric photography, Gothic but also elegant and rustic set and scenery design and lavish costumes (Ravenna's are a knockout). The special effects are mostly fine too. Ravenna is the one character that 'Snow White and the Huntsman' properly tries to develop (and it does so reasonably, but there are parts that could have been elaborated upon more), and Theron positively sinks her teeth into the character, giving a very enjoyably hammy (sometimes), sinister and also tragic interpretation.
James Newton Howard's score complements very well, it's beautifully orchestrated, rousing, elegiac, atmosphere-enhancing and very involving. Hemsworth is appropriately stone-faced and brooding as the Huntsman, displaying charisma and emotion. Sam Claflin does well too, though with an underwritten character.
Was mixed however on the dwarfs and Rupert Sanders' direction. The dwarfs are very enjoyably characterised, with all of them displaying much needed character, humour and charm, more so than their material deserved. Ian McShane is particularly noteworthy. However, they are written in a very glossed over and bland fashion, almost like they were written as an afterthought. The decision to scale down the actors may not work for some people, those who feel that casting real-life dwarfs would have fared better, personally enjoyed the performances but felt it would have been better if Warwick Davis played all of them. Sanders' direction exudes confidence visually, but in the chemistry between actors, direction of some of the actors and direction of the drama he seemed ill at ease.
The biggest problem with 'Snow White and the Huntsman' is Stewart (an opinion this reviewer well before reading the reviews for the film, so this is own opinion talking), she gives a very wooden, expressionless and one-note (constant surprise and "sucking on lemon"-like) performance that makes identifying and sympathising with Snow White incredibly difficult. A shame because her younger child counterpart was very believable. The story has moments (mainly with Theron), but flounders from a lack of chemistry in the pivotal relationship between Stewart and Hemsworth, a particularly dull middle act and stuff brought up but barely explored giving an incomplete and jumpy feel to the storytelling.
Action is episodic and lacking in tension and excitement generally, while the script clunks badly and the characters are bland with the exception of Ravenna. They do start trying to develop the Huntsman but the development is forgotten about once he becomes protector and lover.
Overall, looks great but fails to engage narratively. Not awful, not great, wildly uneven more like. 5/10 Bethany Cox
