The Huntsman Winters War review: Chris Hemsworth leads the impressive cast in this perfect wrap-around to a story we already know.
The Huntsman Winters War review
The decision to drop Snow White and the Huntsman‘s beloved princess from this new film came as a surprise to many. However when you think about it, there isn’t really much more to tell about Snow White whereas audiences know very little about our Huntsman Eric. The risk pays off as the result is a movie that feels much fresher than it’s predecessor and thankfully doesn’t seem to drag on anywhere near as much. The first film was hindered by being all about Snow White, a tale which everybody knows inside out, meaning we spent most of the run time wanting them to hurry up and get to the dwarves, the poison apple etc. This time around we do not know the story and rather than sit there wishing the film away the viewer is instead taken along on the fantastical journey.
The Huntsman Winters War review
So what is our story? We start off in the past as we learn that Evil Queen Ravenna had a younger, daydreaming sister, Freya (Blunt). Ravenna is frustrated that her sister hasn’t come into her dark powers yet whereas Freya places love above everything. This doesn’t last however, as after a personal betrayal leads to tragedy, Freya denounces the existence of love and sets about forging her very own ice Kingdom.
To win her wars she raises an army of Huntsmen (and Huntswomen), enter our hero Eric. Stolen as a child and forced into battle, Eric is Freya’s greatest fighter, rivalled only by fellow warrior Sara (Chastain). Despite love having been decreed forbidden by Freya, the pair inevitable fall for one another, and those that have seen the original will know exactly how events unfold.
Cut to seven years later (handily the time frame of the first film) and we re-join Eric post saving Snow White. It seems that Snow White’s Kingdom isn’t as safe as everyone had hoped as that infamous magic mirror is up to something dastardly and Eric is tasked with destroying the mirror. However, word of the mirror has reached Freya after which Eric finds himself battling both Freya and Ravenna…
The Huntsman Winters War review
For a ‘fairytale’ Winter’s War has a lot of action set pieces and for once it isn’t just the menfolk who can fight. In addition to Chastain’s female warrior Sara, who channels her inner-Katniss Everdeen to be a rather excellent archer, there is the inclusion of a couple of female dwarves who are also capable of holding their own when required. The set and costume design should also to be commended. It screams lavish gothic fairytale and whisks the audience away to a faraway fantasy land.
We should of course address the elephant in the room, the fact that the film has an Ice Queen. Yes the franchise is clearly cashing in on Frozen frenzy, but Elsa, Freya definitely isn’t, something that most certainly upset the young girl I was sat next to during my screening. Blunt plays the Ice Queen superbly, showing her voracious side whilst all the time hinting at something softer still under the surface. She also manages to offer up a perfect female companion for David Bowie’s Goblin King, both sharing a fondness for spying via an owl.
The Huntsman Winters War review
Hemsworth is as charming and strong as ever. The actor just as adept with a couple of axes as he is with his mighty hammer. His character Eric is also given more scope than last time, giving him the chance to do more than just rescue the damsel. One bugbear that should be commented on is whether it is necessary for his character to be Scottish. Chastain also shares the accent and whilst both manage to wrap their lips around it, no one else in either Kingdom shares the tongue, which is a little distracting at times.
Remember folks this is a 12A film which means that, despite it being a fairytale, the film is technically only suitable for those aged twelve and over. Parental units wishing to take those under twelve, be warned that the film contains several dark story moments and one very scary goblin. It also has a fair bit of strong vulgar language. This is most prominent during the introduction of the female dwarves and some may wish to cover the ears of the very young. And don’t discount the evil Elsa trauma…
Acting as both a prequel and a sequel, The Huntman: Winter’s War is the perfect wraparound story to what we have seen before.
The Huntsman Winters War review by Kat Hughes, April 2016.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War is in cinemas now.
