We weren’t expecting this. Yet, we’re very happy it happened.
Warner Bros. is deciding that Christmas is coming early with all these trailers they’ve been releasing. Tuesday brought us the “San Andreas” trailer and another “Inherent Vice” trailer. Now, we’ve got “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the fourth installment in the George Miller cult classic Mad Max Series.
“Mad Max: Fury Road” stars Tom Hardy along with Charlize Theron. George Miller (“Happy Feet”) is directing.
The next set of reviews we’ll be publishing are some of the ones Roger Thomas has done exclusively for The Stanly News & Press. Roger has written movie reviews for The Stanly News & Press and other outlets for years, long before starting this blog. So we decided it would be good to give readers a sample of his previous work, in addition to posts of reviews of current films. Other reviews will run daily.
Chris Hemsworth and Kristen Stewart
There was a moment while I was watching “Snow White and the Huntsman” that I found myself anticipating the release of Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”. I am not sure that the filmmakers of “Snow White” hoped for an audience yearning for another film during a screening of their movie. But alas that was my experience.
There are some strengths to “Snow White and the Huntsman”. The film looks great: beautiful cinematography, art direction and state of the art special effects. I would also praise the filmmakers for not releasing it in 3D. There are some performances I enjoyed. Charlize Theron oozes evil as the Queen. Kristen Stewart is more appealing than she has been in the last three “Twilight” films, but then again that is not a high benchmark to clear. Chris Hemsworth, who has played Thor in two films in the last year, does a good job as the huntsman in the title. And I especially enjoyed seeing “Deadwood’s” Ian McShane as one of the eight dwarves. (Yes, I said eight.) Just the fact they could so successfully make McShane look three feet tall should garner the filmmakers an Oscar nomination for special effects. So there were things about the film I liked; I cannot deny that.
And yet, it never truly captured my heart. There was one scene, near the end, when an impassioned speech was given, and that moment almost won me over. But then there were the other things that forced me to resist a complete commitment to the inspired dialogue.
First, the film tried to be too much like the “Lord of the Rings” saga. Peter Jackson worked wonders with that series; it is easy to imagine why others would want to emulate it. The shots of the group climbing hillsides seemed too reminiscent of Jackson’s shots. The battle scenes seemed almost lifted from the Rings series, and yet could not match the intensity of the battle at Helm’s Deep. I suppose these elements caused my mind to drift to the previews I have seen of “The Hobbit”, a film I hope can live up to Jackson’s legacy of Tolkien adaptations.
Another weakness in the film comes from an all too familiar story. Most people grow up hearing the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. And though the filmmakers took many liberties with that tale, it all still seemed predictable. There was one moment when a twist is the story worked, but even that was not enough of a surprise to make a difference. There is not enough passion in the love triangle that is a centerpiece of the story. The action sequences are often too fast and too disjointed to fully comprehend what is happening. And whole sections of the film seemed rushed. There is a really interesting middle interlude in a village of scarred women living on a shore of lake. I wish there had been more time for this segment. Perhaps more time for the love triangle would have helped the film as well. There may be a much better movie on floor of the film editor.
This past year the ABC Television Network has been airing a series on Sunday nights entitled “Once Upon a Time”. This, too, is a retelling of the Snow White story, among a great many other things this series is. Make no mistake, “Snow White and Huntsman” looks a lot better than “Once Upon a Time”. The filmmakers had a much bigger budget to make trolls, dwarves and castles that look very real. But the emotions of the television series, the feelings that are inspired in viewers, those are much more true in “Once Upon a Time” than they ever are in ”Snow White and the Huntsman”.
Finally, the film concludes and needs no further story, and yet it is also set up for a sequel. If they make one, they should keep the artists who devised the look of the film that creates awe in the viewer, but they should also find a script and a story which can produce equally strong emotions for the characters. Then this retelling of a familiar fairy tale will truly be new again.
Cinema Corner 