Snow White & the Huntsman

Filmmaker Rupert Sanders's grimly revisionist if also sumptuous reworking of the classic Grimm Brothers fairy tale begins with Snow's widowed father, King Magnus (Noah Huntley), being stabbed on his wedding night by his scheming new bride (Charlize Theron), who savagely sucks the life-essence from his heart. Seizing the throne, the evil Queen—who seems to have an incestuous relationship going with her brother (Sam Spruell)—incarcerates Snow in the castle tower. When the famous magic mirror says the alabaster-skinned heroine is fair enough to pose a threat to her vain stepmother, Snow (Kristen Stewart) escapes into the dark, fog-laden forest. Lured into service by the Queen's promise to resurrect his dead wife, a grieving Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) agrees to find Snow. Meanwhile, the aging Queen devours various young women to rejuvenate her power. This not-so-family-friendly fantasy features a huge, menacing troll; an interlude with dwarves (Bob Hoskins, Ian McShane, Toby Jones, Ray Winstone, Eddie Marsan) whose identities are barely sketched; a reunion with Snow's devoted childhood playmate, now-grown Prince William (Sam Claflin); and a climactic battle between Snow—as an armored Joan of Arc-type warrior—and the obsessively jealous Queen. Superficially scripted and filled with fanciful creatures and brutal, bloody violence, this is optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Rupert Sanders, visual effects supervisor Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, and co-editor Neil Smith, “A New Legend is Born” making-of featurette (21 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “Citizens of the Kingdom” section with character featurettes (24 min. total), “The Magic” visual effects featurette (14 min.), a “Reinventing the Fairytale” segment (6 min.), and a 360-degree interactive set tour, as well as bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (S. Granger)