The Huntsman: Winter’s War leads us back into the woods for a second battle for… who cares? A follow-up to the dull and over-produced Snow White and the Huntsman, this new effort seems to be more of the same nonsensical storytelling which, although nice to look at, has no real heart at its core. Choosing to forgo bringing back Kristen Stewart, who moped her way through the original as the titular Snow White, seems like the only good decision by the filmmakers. All things considered, the gossip behind her relationship with the then-married director of the original, Rupert Sanders, was the most exciting part of the whole fiasco.
In an attempt to get Disney’s Frozen fans to take interest, the writers decided to resurrect the defeated Queen Ravenna (played again by the always entertaining Charlize Theron), through the help of the unoriginal character of the Ice Queen, Freya (Emily Blunt), Ravenna’s sister . Bent on taking back the kingdom she once ruled, Ravenna will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Standing in her way is The Huntsman (Hemsworth), who defeated her the first time around. Hopefully, they won’t be as obvious as having the Ice Queen burst into song. Or maybe I should just “let it go”? Yeah, I went there.
Honestly, why? Why do we need these spectacles. Possibly jumping the gun in my distaste for such blatant big budget shenanigans, this feels redundantly over dramatic, effects-heavy and loud. The addition of Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain is the only welcome change over watching Stewart scrunch her face for two hours, though a good film this does not necessarily make. There’s an old joke in Hollywood which says every actor has to make a movie to pay the bills from time to time This most definitely might be a ‘New House’ flick for the cast involved. Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, expect beautiful visuals for sure, just not much substance.
This may sound a bit harsh on my end, but part of being a critic is being critical when needs be. A trailer such as this one felt appropriate for such treatment. Panned by reviewers, Snow White did have fans who enjoyed it regardless of the poor ratings — that’s the beautiful result of creative endeavors. Who knows, I may be completely wrong on this one all together. But I doubt it. So, be your own critic and check out the trailer for The Huntsman: Winter’s War and decide for yourself. I’m just here to help. Good luck. You may need it.
Release Date: April 22, 2016
