Not sure what I think of Snow White and the Huntsman
"Well... that was odd," doesn't really cut it as a movie review, but that's kind of spoiler free version of my review. It's a very peculiar mix of fairy tale and "realistic" which doesn't quite work, but doesn't quite not work, either. It's...odd.
So, we've got a life sucking evil queen who wants to stay young forever, and Snow White who can either destroy her or make her life sucking young forever spell permanent (if the queen gets her heart). That's very fairy tale. As is Snow White's bird and white horse assisted escape from the castle where she'd been imprisoned. Also, Snow White's land healing powers. (To oppose the evil queen's land killing powers.) Not to mention her revival by true love's kiss.
But... when you throw in "realism," it all gets rather head-hurty. How did the country survive years of life sucking queen? Why did the queen keep her alive if she didn't know that she was the needed sacrifice? (Really, movie, you should've just had her know. Then that would make sense.) Giving Snow White vague healing powers then killing someone with plot complications is not a good idea. Though killing people with plot complications is never a good idea. (Snow White is wanted alive. Why was anyone shooting arrows at her for doomed dwarf to jump in front of?) If the queen is obsessed with beauty to the point that women can save themselves from life suckage by scarring their faces, why does it occur to no one that Snow White would be safe if she did the same?* Or at least that she might be safe. Was Snow White supposed to be a semi-competent swords person or not? (The people I saw it with differed on that.)
It wasn't bad, but man do fairy tales and "realism" not mix well.
*I so very much want a version of Snow White in which Snow White scars herself to throw off the evil queen. I'm not sure why I want it so much, but I really really do.
Wait, no, I do know why I want it. Because it messes with the whole beauty = goodness thing. (Not that people can't be both beautiful and scarred, of course. But it's no longer the perfect, unblemished beauty of fairy tales and all.)
This entry was originally posted at http://smurasaki.dreamwidth.org/116607.html.
So, we've got a life sucking evil queen who wants to stay young forever, and Snow White who can either destroy her or make her life sucking young forever spell permanent (if the queen gets her heart). That's very fairy tale. As is Snow White's bird and white horse assisted escape from the castle where she'd been imprisoned. Also, Snow White's land healing powers. (To oppose the evil queen's land killing powers.) Not to mention her revival by true love's kiss.
But... when you throw in "realism," it all gets rather head-hurty. How did the country survive years of life sucking queen? Why did the queen keep her alive if she didn't know that she was the needed sacrifice? (Really, movie, you should've just had her know. Then that would make sense.) Giving Snow White vague healing powers then killing someone with plot complications is not a good idea. Though killing people with plot complications is never a good idea. (Snow White is wanted alive. Why was anyone shooting arrows at her for doomed dwarf to jump in front of?) If the queen is obsessed with beauty to the point that women can save themselves from life suckage by scarring their faces, why does it occur to no one that Snow White would be safe if she did the same?* Or at least that she might be safe. Was Snow White supposed to be a semi-competent swords person or not? (The people I saw it with differed on that.)
It wasn't bad, but man do fairy tales and "realism" not mix well.
*I so very much want a version of Snow White in which Snow White scars herself to throw off the evil queen. I'm not sure why I want it so much, but I really really do.
Wait, no, I do know why I want it. Because it messes with the whole beauty = goodness thing. (Not that people can't be both beautiful and scarred, of course. But it's no longer the perfect, unblemished beauty of fairy tales and all.)
This entry was originally posted at http://smurasaki.dreamwidth.org/116607.html.