also playing
What a great idea: Remake Snow White, but throw out everything that made the Disney film work – the sweetness, the cuteness, and brilliant Technicolor – and replace it with everything that made The Lord of the Rings work: stunning cinematography, intense acting, special effects monsters and special effects little people, swordplay, and massive battle scenes. And it is, actually, a great idea. In this film, the huntsman who is charged with capturing Snow White has a much, much bigger role as her friend, ally, and, potentially, lover. Chris Hemsworth, best known as Thor, is fantastic as the dark, drunken action hero. As Snow White, Kristen Stewart is fine when she’s not looking so concerned and breathing so hard. But she’s miscast, because while she’s pretty, she’s not remotely as stunning as Charlize Theron, who plays the queen. Theron is the reason the movie works; she manages to avoid camp-playing a role that almost begs for it. She’s ruthless and truly evil, but – and this is particularly amazing – she’s also sympathetic.
