Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Review // The Huntsman: Winter’s War

First Published:

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If you’re not the type who gets their back up about series continuity, The Huntsman: Winter’s War is a worthy follow-up to 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman. With stunning visuals, funny dwarves and fantastic action pieces The Huntsman is an entertaining choice for family viewing.

The prequel/sequel centres on Chris Hemsworth’s huntsman Eric and his past as a warrior for the Ice Queen Freya (Emily Blunt). Freya is the sister of the first film’s villain Ravenna (Charlize Theron) and the sequel begins with Freya discovering her icy powers when her heart is broken. Retreating to the North, she builds a kingdom of ice where love is forbidden. Her huntsmen overthrow kingdoms in the North bringing her back children which she raises into great warriors. Eric is one of these children, as is Sara (Jessica Chastain). Two of the strongest warriors in Freya’s army, Eric and Sara soon break the one law of the land and fall for each other. When Freya finds out she forces them into an epic battle in order to prove their love. Eventually, Eric is banished from the land believing his wife dead at the hands of the Ice Queen’s soldiers.

Seven years later (after the battle that restored Snow White’s kingdom) Ravenna’s magic mirror starts driving Snow White mad. William (Sam Claflin) comes to Eric for assistance to rid the kingdom of the mirror and its evil. Aided by the dwarves Nion (Nick Frost) and his half-brother Gryff (Rob Brydon) Eric agrees to help the kingdom and keep the mirror out of the Ice Queen’s reach.

While the story is pretty standard and, truthfully, not that exciting, the film is a production marvel. Impressive set pieces and breath taking costuming add to the incredible visual effects that bring the powers of the Ice Queen and Ravenna to life.

The film deserves some kudos for patching together a serviceable second chapter in the expanded Snow White universe, despite the near-total absence of Snow White.  It does this by focusing on the more interesting tale of two lifelong warriors who bravely stand up to evil in the name of love. By the end of the film, writers Evan Spiliotopoulos and Craig Mazin have created a world where noble huntsmen are freed from the evil that created them. Future films could include Hemsworth and Chastain or simply follow another huntsman into another fairy tale. It opens the franchise to so many possibilities.

The Huntsman: Winter’s War is pretty much a movie where Chris Hemsworth wields a pair of battle axes and still manages to melt more hearts than smash heads. Add in stunning visuals and a decent ensemble cast (still decent despite their terrible accents) and you’ve got an entertaining film for the family this weekend.

Reviewed by Vithiya Murugadas.

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