Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Who Made The Most Earnings Over The Weekend...?
Snow White and the Huntsman bumped Men in Black III from the top spot at the domestic box office this weekend. Industry analysts expected it to not make as much of an impact as Will Smiths third outing as the suited and booted agent, but Twilights Kristen Stewart and the Avengers Chris Hemsworth's latest offering into a darker take on Snow White proved to do rather well.
1.Snow White and the Huntsman $56,255,430 2. Men in Black 3 $29,300,000 3. Marvel's The Avengers $20,273,000 4. Battleship $4,810,320 5. The Dictator $4,725,000 6. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel $4,600,000 7. What to Expect When You're Expecting $4,430,000 8. Dark Shadows$3,860,000 9. Chernobyl Diaries $3,045,000 10. For Greater Glory $1,800,000
Can The Dark Tone Of Snow White and the Huntsman Deliver The Grim Tale It's Promised?
Taking on Disney's classic Snow White film, Rupert Sanders' adaptation centers on the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) who's plan is to conquer every kingdom on the continent. But, before long, Ravenna discovers that her stepdaughter Snow White (Kristen Stewart) is destined to surpass her beauty and challenge her claim to the throne.
Snow White escapes the tower she has been locked away in, and sets off through the Dark Forest, causing Ravenna to hire a gritty huntsman, Eric (Chris Hemsworth), to recapture the princess.
And, that's about it. The story is a pretty straightforward affair, but instead causes you to focus on the stunning backdrops, settings and eye-catching action sequences to hold your attention. Acting, on the most part is done well, with Theron excelling as the evil Queen, whilst Hemsworth brings the role of the gritty Huntsman a little charm (even though through-out the film, I expected to him to shout "I am the son of, Odin!"). Kristen Stewart, made famous as her role as Bella Swan in the Twilight Saga, does a good job as Snow White, and it's nice to see her in another mainstream role that's not filled with vampires and werewolves.
However, the characters' motivations seem generally lacking, which is probably a turn of the writing being somewhat contrived. It's only really the Queen who shows any significant ambition, showing Ravenna's backstory is probably one of the only novel contributions. Sure, they're are some references to mystical prophecies, such as the Troll living under the bridge, but there isn't enough of these moments.
The production design is excellent, showing Sanders has an eye for good shot composition, making the muted aesthetic stand out and adding to the darker tone the film is geared at. Some of the CGI elements aren't quite as stunning as others, a few of the woodland creatures and the fairies could've been better, and in turn become distracting and pull you out of the moement, but the Troll, Magpies and the magical White Harp look impressive in their own merits.
Then there are the dwarves. You know, of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves fame. These legendary characters don't actually make their appearance until well over half way through the film. When they do finally appear, Muir (Bob Hoskins), Beith (Ian McShane), Quert (Johnny Harris), Coll (Toby Jones), Duir (Eddie Marsan), Gort (Ray Winstone), Nion (Nick Frost), and Gus (Brian Gleeson) all do a great job as the ex-gold mining dwarves turned drunk, looting renegade fighters. But the sad edition of them not gaining enough screen time is somewhat bizarre.
Whilst SWATH isn't the all-in-all dark take on the classic tale we hoped for, it's an enjoyable fare. Considering the simple writing, the cast do an excellent job, with stunning effects to keep you focused. It's a shame then, that the film does take a while to get going, with some slow set paces, and somewhat unanswered questions. The film could do with shaving off some of the less important and, sadly, boring scenes, and focus on building the characters a little more.
But, on saying that, all things considered, Sanders' Snow White is possibly the most compelling take we've seen on the story so far.
Seen The Avengers? Been twice? Three times? Well, after the amazing and brilliant Marvel team flick, just what else is there to look forward to? Well, here is our top upcoming movies (in no particular order).
Snow White and the Huntsman In the epic action-adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Oscar® winner Charlize Theron) who is out to destroy her.
In Cinemas May 30, 2012. Starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter President Lincoln's mother is killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers.
Abraham Lincoln is reinvented as a vampire-killing president in this Timur Bekmambetov-directed action picture starring Benjamin Walker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell, and Dominic Cooper. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies author Seth Grahame-Smith adapts his own book for 20th Century Fox. Tim Burton produces alongside Bekmambetov and Jim Lemley.
Exit Humanity Told through the written and illustrated journal of Edward Young as he battles his way through an unexplainable outbreak of the walking dead a decade after the American Civil War. After returning home from a hunting trip to find a horrific re-animation of his wife Julia, and that their son Adam has disappeared, Edward starts to record his experiences with the walking dead as well as the unexplainable outbreak that has torn his family apart, and threatens all of mankind.
Prometheus Ridley Scott, director of "Alien" and "Blade Runner," returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
Breaking Dawn Part 2 The final chapter of the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn Part 2 hits theaters on November 16th, 2012. Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.
The Amazing Spider-Man The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance -- leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.
The Dark Knight Rises The epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar(R) winner Christian Bale ("The Fighter") again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar(R) winner Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose"), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar(R) winner Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules") plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar(R) winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby") reprises the role of Lucius Fox.
