The Huntsman: Winter's War
20/04/16 Filed in: Cinema
I very rarely read reviews before going to see a film, instead relying on the trailer, which I accept can itself be misleading. If I had read reviews for todays film, The Huntsman: Winter's War, I might have not bothered to go. For example, Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian, normally a reliable critic, was taken to write:
"It is the follow-up that nobody much wanted to the film that nobody much liked, resulting in something even more visually elaborate and boring, and about which the number of tosses that can be reasonably given is lower than ever."
Meanwhile the critics at Rotten Tomatoes managed to muster 16% approval.
These reviews must influence people as bizarrely we were the only two people in the auditorium, although the rather nice weather may have also been an influence.
So what did I think of the film? Well, it had three redeeming features, namely Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain, the last mentioned doing a good impression of Zena Warrior Princess. Three extremely attractive women and good actors to boot. And for the women, Chris Hemsworth, who I believe quickens a pulse or two.
The story is based around Snow White, although she doesn't appear, and draws also on Narnia, with Emily Blunt, as Freya, becoming the Snow Queen. Charlize Theron as the wicked Ravenna is, well, quite wicked, bringing out the evil side of her sister Freya, who up until then had been a nice person.
"It is the follow-up that nobody much wanted to the film that nobody much liked, resulting in something even more visually elaborate and boring, and about which the number of tosses that can be reasonably given is lower than ever."
Meanwhile the critics at Rotten Tomatoes managed to muster 16% approval.
These reviews must influence people as bizarrely we were the only two people in the auditorium, although the rather nice weather may have also been an influence.
So what did I think of the film? Well, it had three redeeming features, namely Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain, the last mentioned doing a good impression of Zena Warrior Princess. Three extremely attractive women and good actors to boot. And for the women, Chris Hemsworth, who I believe quickens a pulse or two.
The story is based around Snow White, although she doesn't appear, and draws also on Narnia, with Emily Blunt, as Freya, becoming the Snow Queen. Charlize Theron as the wicked Ravenna is, well, quite wicked, bringing out the evil side of her sister Freya, who up until then had been a nice person.
Freya, believing she was deceived in love, goes north to create her own ice kingdom, where love is banned. She brings in the children of defeated armies and trains them to be huntsmen (and women), her own personal militia. The Huntsman of the film's title (Hemsworth) and Sarah (Chastain) are the two best pupils to emerge from the huntsmen training, but they fall in love, which of course just won't do in Freya's kingdom. So she breaks them up, and with a bit of magic leads the Huntsman to believe that Sarah is dead, while leaving Sarah believing that the Huntsman ran away and deserted her. They are of course destined to meet again.
The famous magic mirror (mirror mirror on the wall...) plays a major part in the ensuing story, as do a group of dwarves, not to mention the goblins. Are you getting the drift? The dwarves add some comedy to lighten things up a bit while the goblins are very unpleasant indeed, but the fact that they seem to have tar in their blood turns out to be very convenient for our little band of heroes.
The course of true love between The Huntsman and Sarah is not running very true because of Freya's misdirection but this is a fairy story, so in the end we sort of know that things are going to work out.
Do I recommend the film? Well, as I've said, it's pleasing to the eye, humorous in parts, but at the end of the day it's probably quite a waste of some very talented actors. But I'm easily pleased and certainly don't regret going to see it.
The famous magic mirror (mirror mirror on the wall...) plays a major part in the ensuing story, as do a group of dwarves, not to mention the goblins. Are you getting the drift? The dwarves add some comedy to lighten things up a bit while the goblins are very unpleasant indeed, but the fact that they seem to have tar in their blood turns out to be very convenient for our little band of heroes.
The course of true love between The Huntsman and Sarah is not running very true because of Freya's misdirection but this is a fairy story, so in the end we sort of know that things are going to work out.
Do I recommend the film? Well, as I've said, it's pleasing to the eye, humorous in parts, but at the end of the day it's probably quite a waste of some very talented actors. But I'm easily pleased and certainly don't regret going to see it.