photo source: Universal Pictures
By Natalie Hovanesian

Unlike many adaptations to books by the Brothers Grimm, “Snow White and the Huntsman” has an incredible twist that is a darker approach to the original story, giving the old classic a new taste that will have audiences hungry for more.

Obsessed with her beauty and filled with rage from her past, Ravenna (Charlize Theron), a powerful witch who feeds on the youth of young women, easily tricks Snow White’s (Kristen Stewart) father to marry her. On the night of their wedding, Ravenna, without hesitation, kills the King and becomes Queen.

Under her reign, the entire kingdom suffers and Snow White is imprisoned. Through the information she gets from the magic mirror, the only way Queen Ravenna can beimmortal is if she obtains the pure and innocent heart of Snow White.

However, Snow White manages to escape the prison she is kept in and is accompanied by a noble huntsman, Eric (Chris Hemsworth), who helps her fight the Queen.

The visual effects are a very strong element of the film because of the scenery and the appealing, vibrant colors. In the beginning of the film, with the help of CGI graphics, the kingdom is beautiful and embellished with various plants that represent the kind-hearted King, while when the Queen comes to power, everything is dark and there is no life in the castle, representing her vicious self.

Theron is able to portray the icy Queen incredibly. Although she is breathtakingly beautiful in the movie, Theron manages to make audiences hate her with her character’s cruel actions and her exceptional acting abilities.

When she is angry with her brother, for instance, her facial expressions and the way she yells at him are so powerful that viewers are utterly shocked that such evil can come from such beauty.

As for Stewart’s acting, it wasn’t her greatest performance; however, I admired her realistic British accent.
One thing that I appreciated from the film was that it stayed true to the old story. Famous quotes that everyone is familiar with such as “mirror, mirror on the wall” are still used, and Snow White still has a respectable relationship with the animals in the forest.

Despite their different names that were changed to match the serious tone of the movie, the seven dwarfs are also included to help her defeat the Queen.

Instead of focusing more on the story, the film sometimes seems as though it was made to show off its visual effects, which is one of the few setbacks of the movie. Some of the events are pointless, causing the movie to be a little on the slow side. Even though it was spectacular, it seemed as though the creators of the film tried too hard to construct a fantasy world.

Overall, “Snow White and the Huntsman” is filled with action, visually appealing scenery, and suspense. The morals of the movie show that the innocence and purity of Snow White can conquer even the darkest of evil.