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This film holds together thanks to Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart, who are not only nice to look at and turn in decent performances, but are also great casting choices. The same applies to the other actors, from Sam Spruell’s Breivik-like villain to a group of dwarves, among which at least Ray Winston can only be recognized by his voice. Surprisingly, Chris Hemsworth, as the Huntsman, gets very little space given that he plays one of the titular characters and his relationship with Snow White doesn’t work too well (once again, given that it’s the title of the film). The dwarves’ lack of humor is also surprising. The film is excellent in the first third, which is dominated by the deliciously evil and cold Charlize Theron (Eva Green’s cold bitch from Dark Shadows can’t hold a candle to her). Overall, the film is not flat, it has a certain drive, is engaging and full of fantasy charm and darkness. The great visuals and J. N. Howard’s soundtrack are not surprising, as they were to be expected. The Lord of the Rings inspiration probably cannot be avoided, but the references to The NeverEnding Story were a nice surprise and suggest that the screenplay of the latter film’s Hollywood remake is already taking shape on someone’s desk in the city of angels. The film is too long; its second half should have been shorter and more dynamic. Overall, however, it’s still better than the childish The Chronicles of Narnia or the plastic Golden Compass. (24.05.2012)

At the beginning I was surprised at how much I was enjoying it (I wasn’t expecting anything from it), but as the minutes went by, the enthusiasm waned and I ended at around 4/10. Nice visuals and a demonic Charlize aren’t enough to carry 127 minutes with a stupid script, a wooden Snow White and an unremarkable prince. (05.09.2012)

I was looking forward to Snow White and the Huntsman. I am always looking forward to a fantasy. And it’s even more pleasant when I see it’s the director’s first proper movie. Hats off for the imagination of the Snow White’s world. I really liked that. Even though it was narrated well, the story was a routine one. In fact, the whole movie is really obvious and if you know the original story and can imagine it in the form of a narrative fantasy story like Lord of the Rings, the result will look like this movie. Kirsten Stewart could finally stop staring open-mouthed at everyone around her, but that was about the only flaw I could find with the actors. They performed their best and that is a good thing. Next time it would be better with less digital effects. The two castles could definitely have been made less monumental and more real to give the fantasy movie the realistic feel it deserves. At least in that respect. (25.04.2013)

Great fragments, but a dramatic structure very blown away (hi ho, hi ho, we come to XY, we enjoy ourselves and then they attack us), no explicitly breathtaking moment, very solid craftsmanship, but affected by the effort to sell everything to all available senses at once. For me, it lacks a bit of finesse and stronger mythology, which would combine all the much dispersed influences - for example, when the dwarves sing an "Irish folk song" and Snow White prays to God, I do not know where I actually was. Some mandatory "mighty bloody battle" phrases strongly reside here (I would cut off hands for Snow White's monologue before the final battle). On the other hand, from an acting point of view, it is absolutely excellent, and if there is something that really excites beyond sensory intoxication, then it’s the well-chosen representatives of key roles (perhaps only Kristen gets a big life lesson from the predatory milf Charlize). Sanders certainly has a knack for playing with the viewer - I'm quite curious how his broadly targeted fantasy product will fare. Overall, I fluctuate between amused distance and enthusiasm - especially where this dirty girl dares to be really dirty and more daring than the polished genre competition. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm did not come despite a few good flashes. P.S. When The Witcher is filmed in Hollywood, Chris Hemsworth should be given the role of Geralt. The guy has style... (23.05.2012)

A mirror with no taste (Kristen more beautiful than Charlize; how could the screenwriters think that somebody would believe such nonsense?), visually well done, solid tempo, a lot of action, wasted dwarfs (such a cast and then they just get one proper scene), a couple of necrophilic kisses, one lesbian kiss and no kiss out of true love… And that is maybe the biggest (and not by far the only) mistake; you can feel the lack of feeling here and that was, is and always will be an crucial problem in a fairytale. Despite all its likability, it’s simply cold and that’s a shame, because otherwise for this Snow White – a successor of the fantasy genre so popular and wide-spread mainly in the 80’s, I would have had only words of praise. (05.06.2012)

Exactly on the border between darker fairy tale and cautious fantasy, but personally I was hoping for something a bit higher. The situation must occasionally be explicitly saved by the beautiful Kristen and the warrior Hemsworth, for whom the roles of unruly and vulnerable heroes will be a career destiny. Howard (and Florence+The Machine) fantastically reign in the soundtrack, fantastic creatures appear cautiously in regular doses, and passages like walks through the enchanted fairy forest can take your breath away for minutes in advance, so what's the problem? For me, it's clearly with the queen. Charlize and her evil queen simply didn't convince me with her performance and portrayal of the character throughout the two hours, whether she was bathing in milk or menacingly threatening whomever she wanted, I just nervously fidgeted and waited for any kind of change. Sanders sympathetically changes notoriously known plot moments (although he doesn't fully execute that crucial and most anticipated change until the end), but in the very end, the overall impression remains too hesitant. (09.09.2012)

The awesomely beautiful Charlize and her initial intro get you almost immediately. And they don’t leave you for the entire movie. Sanders has a firm director’s hand, superb visuals (beautiful when required, dirty if needed) and everything ticks over nicely. The production design looks appropriately high-flown and has the requisite Lord of the Rings gilding. Kristen is great, but it seemed to me that he spoke too little for the main protagonist and draws very little attention to himself. Chris Hemsworth rocks again in the role of an inebriated hunter with a troubled past, and the meticulously cast dwarves were welcome and added a pile of laughs. Howard’s music is a pleasure to listen to. This is more or less what I had imagined it was going to be. Hail the Queen! (14.06.2012)

A spectacular thing and surprisingly quite entertaining. Visually it is very attractive and captivating. Kristen Stewart has finally escaped her role in Twilight and showcases a confident performance. The plot is solidly tangled, the pacing is just right, and you don’t have much room to get bored. It may not become a classic, nor is it a timeless thing, but a sequel would certainly not be a bad idea, and I was surprised by the precision with which they tackled it from a formal perspective. Visually more daring than, for example, the latest Jackson's Hobbit. (24.05.2013)

Three and a half stars. The following things in particular are unfortunate: That Kristen Stewart is not even prettier, let alone more beautiful than Charlize Theron (but that's my subjective feeling, I know), that she has one expression throughout the film, and that the speech before the battle, already a ridiculous enough moment, is even more ridiculous given her performance. That the absolutely brilliantly cast dwarves (Ian McShane in particular!) only actually flicker through the film. That the writers screwed the prince into the plot so violently, when they could have left him out. That the "rip-offs" of The Lord of the Rings are so obvious. That some things are not understandable (or more understandable) - for example, waking up with a kiss (really, it's weird). And that's about all I could fault Snow White and the Huntsman for. Otherwise, it's a typical fantasy with impeccably atmospheric scenes in the dark and fairy forest, an excellent queen, an overly sympathetic Chris Hemsworth and a great Newton-Howard soundtrack. (20.06.2012)

The environment Rupert Sanders has created here is captivating and very appealing. Add to that the truly perfect casting (Charlize is still beautiful and in terms of her character actually plays a total bitch :))), Kristen matures like wine from one film to the next, and Chris is gradually growing into a star of considerable stature), and the result is actually a pretty above average affair. One could of course draw comparisons and say that Snow White and the Huntsman is in better taste than Narnia or The Golden Compass (however, my beloved Stardust remains unsurpassed), and ultimately that is indeed the case :))), but for me the important thing was that it all somehow held together and maintained a fairly high standard despite its fairy tale subject matter. 3.5 stars (14.10.2013)