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| Courtesy of Universal |
I’ll
start with the good news. The Huntsman: Winter’s War is the rare sequel
that’s better than its predecessor. Admittedly, that’s setting the bar pretty
low considering the dour Snow White and the Huntsman is one of the decade’s
worst movies. Winter’s War isn’t very good either, but at least it’s not
afraid to have some fun. It’s a curious misfire that still contains several
compelling performances and a handful of entertaining scenes.
I’m
baffled that anyone was clamoring for a follow up, but – in my defense – the
studio seems to agree. That’s the only explanation I can fathom since there’s a
new director (Cedric Nicolas-Troyan replaces Rupert Sanders), new screenwriters
(Evan Spiliotopoulos and Craig Mazin take over for Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock
and Hossein Amini), and the original’s top-billed star is gone. In fact, Snow
White is barely mentioned at all.
Instead,
the focus shifts to a host of other characters. Chris Hemsworth’s charismatic
Huntsman returns (he’s even got a name now – Eric), as does Charlize Theron’s
scenery-chewing evil queen Ravenna. We also meet her sister, Freya (Emily
Blunt), who is definitely not Elsa from Frozen. Sure, she has magical ice
powers, dresses in blue, has white hair, suffers the tragic loss of a family member,
has trouble controlling her emotions and lives in a familiar castle. But I’m
guessing it’s a total coincidence.
Just
like I’m sure the Huntsman’s first love, a feisty, red-haired Scottish lass
(Jessica Chastain) with astonishing archery skills, is in no way supposed to be
Merida from Brave. Her name is Sara. And she’s live action, not a cartoon.
I’m sure Disney’s massive legal team will agree that it doesn’t get more
different than that.
Sarcasm
aside, Winter’s War should’ve been called Hot Topic Pop Culture Theater. Granted, it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but it’s far more accurate. In
addition to ripping off (excuse me, “paying homage to”) multiple Disney
properties, the movie lifts a ton of ideas from fantasy sagas like Lord of the
Rings and Game of Thrones. Even if the ideas aren’t exactly original, I wish
the filmmakers could’ve found a way to combine them into a cohesive narrative
instead of two hours of loosely connected short films.
Despite
the disjointed storytelling (it somehow manages to be a prequel and a sequel at
the same time), there was plenty I liked about Winter’s War. First, the
actors seem to start enjoying themselves around the half-hour mark, and the
enthusiasm is contagious. The only thing I remember about Snow White and the
Huntsman was that everyone looked like they were suffering intense heartburn.
Well, except for Theron – she was having a blast in a completely different, far
campier movie (she looks like she’s having even more fun this time around). The
cast is on the same page now and it helps immensely.
Blunt
is genuinely good as Freya, turning what could’ve been a one-note villain into
a tragic figure. Her actions are indefensible, but you can see how the twisted
logic makes sense in her head. Hemsworth is also fun, swaggering through almost
every scene with a giant smirk on his face. Plus, his chemistry with Chastain –
who fully commits to the movie’s ridiculousness – is off the charts. It’s a
nice upgrade from Hemsworth’s interactions with dead-eyed Kristen Stewart in the
original film.
I’m
especially thankful for Nick Frost, Rob Brydon, Sheridan Smith and Alexandra
Roach. Their dwarf characters are a welcome source of comic relief in the
film’s middle third. It’s by far the best section of the movie. It’s also the
breeziest. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.
Winter’s
War is also gorgeous to look at if you overlook the occasionally awful CGI.
Freya’s ice walls and Ravenna’s T-1000 impression are particularly heinous, but
they’re counteracted by sweeping shots of countryside, peaceful rivers and
atmospheric forests.
I
can’t exactly recommend Winter’s War, but I was pleasantly surprised at how
painless the experience was. That might sound like a backhanded compliment, but Snow White and the Huntsman might’ve been the longest two hours of my life. I
don’t think I checked my watch once during the sequel. How’s that for progress?
The
Huntsman: Winter’s War is rated PG-13 for fantasy action violence and some
sensuality.
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