Let's be honest, The
Huntsman: Winter's War probably
shouldn't exist. Its predecessor, Snow
White and the Huntsman, didn't really need to happen, either, but it
arrived at a time when fairy tale reboots were just starting to take off, and
Snow White movies were something studios were especially enamored with. The
grim and gritty take, which saw Kristen Stewart as an armor-clad Snow White,
didn't really take off and certainly didn't justify a follow-up. But because
Universal wanted a franchise, here we are with a film that only brings back
Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron, no Stewart to be found. And maybe it was
Stewart or previous director Rupert Sanders (remember they had a very public romantic entanglement) holding things back because The
Huntsman: Winter's War is
vastly more enjoyable; if Frozen and Lord of the Rings spawned it would look
something like this.
Now, that's not to say the film is as good
as either of those, but as a fantasy adventure full of evil queens, magical ice
princesses, dwarves, and heroic acts it's a lot of fun. Plus there's something
to be said about the fact that it doesn't take itself seriously at all, and
certainly the star-studded cast knows not to do so. The construction of the
story is a little weird at first, though. The "once upon a time" in
this case is pre-Snow White and the Huntsman and follows Queen Ravenna as she
manipulates and murders her way into power, alongside her mild-mannered sister,
Freya (Emily Blunt). Love, as always, is a dangerous thing in this land, and
when Freya's newborn baby is murdered by the man she loves, she goes all Elsa
on his ass, and then flees to the North to establish an icy kingdom of her own.
There she kidnaps children and raises them to be her army, her Huntsmen, with
the law being that love is forbidden.
The finest warriors by her side are Eric
(Hemsworth) and Sara (Jessica Chastain), who grew up together under Freya's
watchful glare. The two fall in love despite the law, and when Freya finds out
she exacts a chilly revenge that drives them apart for years. But nothing is as
it seems, and when Eric, plus returning dwarves Nion (Nick Frost), and
Gryff (Rob Brydon) are tasked with retrieving the stolen Mirror, his past comes
rushing back to haunt him.
What emerges from here is an airy fantasy
romance as Hemsworth and Chastain bicker like this was an episode of
Moonlighting while battling goblins and their fellow Huntsmen. In terms of tone
there is practically no relation between the two films, which nobody will
probably complain about. However, it's still incredibly unforgiving for those
just checking out this franchise for the first time. The story begins deep in
the past before springing ahead past the prior film and into the present in
order to tell a story that doesn't really include Snow White at all. All that said
the humor more than makes up for it. This version of Eric is a goofy lunk,
while the comic relief is punched up by scene-stealer Sheridan Smith as feisty,
sharp-tongued dwarf, Mrs. Bromwyn. Naturally, Frost and Brydon are great,
and so is Chastain although her somber demeanor can be sort of a drag. It's
also a lot of fun to see Blunt vamp it up alongside Theron, although more of
the latter would have been even better. Looking at the roster (which also
includes Sam Claflin reprising his role as Snow White's husband), it's kind of
amazing that a random sequel to a forgettable film was able to attract the
likes of Chastain and Blunt, but the gravitas they bring to their roles is the
reason why you seek out actresses of their caliber.
Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, visual effects
supervisor on the first film, takes over as director so the strong CGI remains
mostly intact. He also keeps a generally fast-forward pace as the Huntsman and
his team drive towards a clear cut goal, another thing missing in its
predecessor. However, it's tough to escape the feeling that the whole thing
feels sort of arbitrary, the kind of studio-mandated flick that moviegoers
claim to hate. The ending is a slog of long-winded diatribes and ice walls, so
drowned in special effects that it loses any sense of momentum or emotional
connection. It also takes heavy steps to leave the door open for a sequel,
which despite The Huntsman:
Winter's War being an
entertaining romp, simply does not need to be.
Rating: 3 out of 5
