I think this is what happens when you let the storyboarder run the pitch meeting. Visually, Snow White and the Huntsman is stunning, a textbook in cinematography and art design. Then again, so was Toys. You could study this film in advanced cinematography seminars. The screenplay, however, will likely remain unexamined even by those who wrote it.
Two months ago, we were given Mirror, Mirror, a small treat that found the mirth in this Grimm tale. Contrarily, Snow White and the Huntsman found the grim. You have a tale where seven midgets feature prominently and you play it like a funeral 
procession? Your loss. Today’s evil queen is Charlize Theron. I’ll try not to go nuts on why this queen would envy Kristen Stewart for any reason, but instead point out that I haven’t enjoyed Ms. Theron less since Æon Flux. In a nutshell, Ravenna, who’s pretty much angry the entire film, hijacks the throne, makes all bad, loses Snow White and hires drunk Thor to go get her in The Dark Forest, another place of really cool footage.
Has anybody ever noticed that movie forests are overrated? Fangorn Forest? Sherwood Forest? The Forbidden Forest? The Fire Swamp? If you don’t mind me saying so, show me a movie forest with a bad reputation and I’ll show you a place whose bark is worse than its bite.
When we first meet grown up Snow White, Kristen Stewart is saying the Lord’s Prayer. Really? We’re really gonna turn Snow White into Christian parable? Yes, we are. I have no idea whence the fascination with the chastening of Kristen Stewart comes, but you cannot deny the phenomenon. Look at our two leads – Charlize Theron gains the throne by turning consummation into regicide; a half year ago, she played a committed sexually abusing home-wrecker in Young Adult. That same half year ago Kristen Stewart’s running character Bella finally had sex four films in when, and only when, she and Edward wed. Stewart’s Snow White has two potential suitors. Hey, that’s another one — what is the fascination with Kristen Stewart having two guys fight over her? But there isn’t a hint of sexuality in either relationship. Not one. And she’s been locked in a dungeon for a decade.
By the time we get the titular Huntsman involved, the rest is essentially a chase movie/war movie with disturbing religious overtones. Somewhere in Act II, an Arthurian White Hart 
christens this Snow White into Sainthood, transforming her into Arthur or Jesus or Joan of Arc (take your pick – all are hinted at), it would be enough to make you hurl were it not beautifully shot. The Jesus metaphor is an interesting one because the poison apple becomes the death on a cross. Doesn’t quite work, but, let’s face it, the whole Christian parable doesn’t work.
Yes, Kristen Stewart has two suitors, again; yes, she has safeguarded her sexuality, again; yes, her dialogue delivery still makes you wonder if she speaks English, again, but at least we gave Kristen Stewart something to do this film. No longing or mooning crap; we see Snow White run, fight, dive, attack and all sorts of stuff that doesn’t involve staring out a window waiting 
for a humorless vampire. For that alone, I will gladly rate Snow White above any Twilight film.
These seven dwarves seriously disturbed me. And they’ll disturb you, too. “Hey, that’s Toby Jones! Hey that’s Bob Hoskins!” Wait, since when is Ian McShane three feet tall? Whatever worked in Lord of the Rings, doesn’t here. It’s unnatural seeing a Nick Frost no bigger than Peter Dinklage. Perhaps that’s the fitting metaphor for Snow White and the Hunstman itself – you’ve taken something big and made it unnaturally small and disturbing. But it’s shot beautifully.
Rated PG-13, 127 Minutes
D: Rupert Sanders
W: Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock and Hossein Amini (the Grimm brothers washed their hands of this effort)
Genre: A Twilight fairy tale
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: The Kristen Stewart fan club
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: “I came for princesses; what’s with the somber?”
Once again you nail the film in the opening line of the review (really the rest is just filler ;-) ). My biggest problem was constantly thinking why would Charlize Theron be jealous of Kirsten Stewart in this film, in real life, or in any dimension in which they may find themselves?
My other issue was the love triangle. Or should that be love full stop seeing as it didn’t go anywhere. Yet another film that didn’t feel finished to me, though I was quite glad when it did.
The absence/abstinence of the love story was surprising to me–just who was the target audience here? Many teenage girls (dare I say most?) enjoy a little romance, but there was none. Brings us back to the whole religious angle–she was “Snow White” and snow white she remains? Time to look up who funded this movie.