***The Starry-Eyed Revue***: snow white and the huntsman

We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen. We cringe at casting. We scoff at release dates. All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations. Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't. We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set. All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?

While I was laid up over the weekend recuperating from yet another bout of sickness, I caught up on some of my DVR'd programs and movies, including the following:

Title: Snow White and the Huntsman
Director: Rupert Sanders
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin
Release date: June 1, 2012
Based on: Snow White (Sneewittchen) by the Brothers Grimm, see also: movie tie-in

In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.

So, it's been a year since this movie came out, and I already knew from others that I shouldn't go into it expecting a whole lot. Especially with emotionless Kristen Stewart playing the heroine. But it wasn't just the fact that KStew was a terrible Snow White that made this film a disappointment. (And that observation is hindered further by the fact that I adore Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow on Once Upon a Time because girl can be fierce and courageous and also beautiful and mild-mannered...she is the perfect Snow White.)

At any rate, it just felt like so much was missing from this story. The movie fast-forwards through years of supposed torture or at the very least, maltreatment of Snow White, and she really looks no worse for wear, aside from those grubby fingernails of hers. And then the Huntsman -- who I don't think was ever given a real name during the entirety of the movie -- simply went from drunk and mourning his wife to Snow White's savior and champion. And where was William during all of this? Who knows...except that when he does show up, apparently he's been mourning the loss of Snow White all these years past. I'd have liked to see at least some of that in the movie. It was just nothing, nothing, FEELINGS!

The special effects, however, were kind of cool....that whole mirror melting into a faceless figure was awesome. And the dwarves! When I mentioned the lack of dwarves about half-way through, my husband countered that it was Snow White and the Huntsman not the Seven Dwarves as in previous versions. So, I was pretty excited when they did finally show up. And they were just as fiercely protective as I expected them to be.

I love fairy tales and I love retellings, but for many reasons, this one just fell flat for me. It did, however, get me excited to see Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair in Catching Fire this Thanksgiving. :D

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