Just finished watching Snow White and the Huntsman for the first time...

And dare I say I enjoyed it?

After seeing the Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies, I went on a fantasy stint, watching the earlier Hobbit films and whatnot. There aren't too many fantasy films out there, which is unfortunate, because it's probably one of my favorite genres. Anyway, I had a copy of the Extended Edition of Snow White, and thought I'd give it a try, as I had never seen it before. Now, I had heard the complaints before( ie, Kristen Stewart is in this movie and lacks a defining personality.) So I wasn't expecting too much, just wanted to turn off my brain for a bit and enjoy not being at work.

But I don't know, after seeing the Hobbit films and listening to everybody's critiques, I came to be comparing the two quite a bit. The Hobbit movies are often criticized for a lack of set pieces and an over reliance on CGI. Snow White is the polar opposite. True, there are some scenes chalk full of CGI, but in these particular scenes, I didn't seem to mind. They added a certain charm, or magical element that contrasted the dark and gritty world pretty well.

As far as acting goes, Charlize Theron absolutely knocked it out of the park. I think she's what made me enjoy the movie the most. Her presence is terrifying. Every scene she was in was perfect. Chris Hemsworth was also pretty enjoyable, and I appreciate that they hinted at a love triangle with his character, but didn't shoehorn it in. I loved the ending. I even came to enjoy Kristen Stewart in a few scenes. I didn't mind her as much as everybody else seemed to, but I would definitely say she was the weakest part of the movie. Not necessarily bad, just pretty bland overall. I guess I blame the writing more so than I blame her. Maybe the character was meant to be that "innocent" or "boring". I don't know.

Anyway, it was a pleasant surprise, and an interesting viewing when compared to the Hobbit trilogy.