Snow White and the Huntsman is the most recent offering in a metric f@#K ton of fairy tale inspired fiction. Comics like “Fables“, TV shows like “Grimm” and “Once Upon a Time“, even movies like “Mirror Mirror” and “Snow White and the Huntsman” are a part of this surge of fairy tale stories in popular culture today. Why? Who knows and who cares! The question is… are they worth your limited time and hard earned cash?

Snow White and the Huntsman’s tale is familiar enough. A wicked queen kills the benevolent king. Snow is locked away in a tower, then escapes to teams up with dwarfs and anti-queen sympathizers to take the wicked witch down. Its my understanding that this rendition of Snow White is far more similar to the original Brothers Grimm tale than most that came before. Perhaps it is this connection to the old Grimm fairy tale which Snow White and the Huntsman owes its darker and more interesting tone. Its not the Disney version, this is a dark and entertaining imagining of Snow White’s struggle to destroy the queen.

Snow White (played by Kristen Stewart) is an OK character. Stewart just can’t sell the character as anything but an emotionally stunted beauty, who is evidently “magically destined to save the land”…that’s right, she’s gonna make the flowers bloom again! I kept wishing for her just to not speak, to be more of a set piece than an active character in the movie. I know that wouldn’t work but come on…

Other than K-Stew, the rest of the cast was excellent. Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman was great, he has really turned out to be a good leading man. His gruff, jaded Huntsman is an instantly likeable character. Emotionally fractured and seemingly suicidal, he cuts a deal with the queen to resurrect his lost love in exchange for Snow. Of course the queen double crosses him, so he kicks some ass and takes off with Snow White into the woods.

Speaking of the queen, wow…just wow. Charlize Theron steals the show every time she graces the screen. Her portrayal of the wicked queen is easily my favorite ever. Theron is incredibly beautiful and intense. Snow White and The Huntsman’s Queen is believably evil, yet somehow human beneath it all. She’s not your typical mustache twirling villain, who’s just evil for the sake of being evil. She’s a twisted wicked creature, but very human and vulnerable at times. I loved to hate this queen, she is easily THE reason you should see this movie.

Snow White and the Huntsman receives a rating of Full Price. Its surprisingly well done, I kept waiting for a massive plot hole or awkward pacing, but it never came. The acting was a mixed bag of OK to awesome, but the fight scenes and special effects were spectacular. This movie outperformed my expectations at every turn (save stone-faced K-Stew).

Fun Factor: 75%