Snow White and the Huntsman Blu-ray Review

Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) has taken over the throne and for years she has kept Snow White (Kristin Stewart) in prison. But when Snow White escapes, the queen sends the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to kill her. However, after the Huntsman finds Snow White, he cannot kill her and instead joins her. Snow White and the Huntsman will find some rather odd allies in their quest to regain the throne that rightfully belongs to Snow White.

Snow White and the Huntsman was more than just eye candy, the film features great acting, but honestly it wouldn’t have worked as well as it did without Charlize Theron as Ravenna. Theron really made the movie all that much more enjoyable, the film’s success is mostly because of her. She was simply superb. One moment she was kind and the next she turned evil and delusional, the changes were seamless and she delivered every time she was on the screen. This of course made an impact on Stewart’s performance, while she wasn’t great, she wasn’t bad either. Stewart’s performance was decent, but Theron’s monumental figure simply overshadowed everything Stewart provided for the film. Chris Hemsworth was also on the same level, but the story was not revolving around him so for what it is worth he did his part. I did feel the movie suffered from pacing, at times it was slow and it was noticeable that a figure like Theron was needed to get things moving. If some of these slow paced moments were removed from the final version I am sure nobody would even notice.

Snow White and the Huntsman is a re-imagining of the classic fairy tale with a modern retelling. Rupert Sanders has created a fascinating world with a perfect mixture of wonder and darkness. The director really managed to provide a visual assault on viewers, projecting the changes to the land and its mysterious marvels with great splendor. The kingdom goes through a change and it’s noticeable, Sanders really focuses on it and it works. Every section of the film that showcases a new setting turns out to be eye candy, there’s plenty of detail at every corner. The visual effects are simply well executed throughout the film; they also weren’t over the top so mixed quite well. The film has plenty of dark moments that fit the story quite nicely, but what stands out the most is the creativity behind the creatures that appear throughout. The design of the picture is great and it seems to have been well throughout as the world is filled with splendor. The custom design was exception and the set creations really helped to shape the immersion even further.

Snow White and the Huntsman arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG4-AVC encode framed at 2.35:1. The film is simply beautiful; there are plenty of moments that can be taken as an example of how good this movie looks. Colors are bright and vivid during the sanctuary scene. Dark scenes feature well defined dark colors, black levels are very consistent. Detailing is exceptional, close up shots are revealing, garments feature great amount of detail, the surrounding look amazing, etc. Even the special effects look good throughout the film. The film does feature a thin layer of grain so it doesn’t feature a complete digital look. I didn’t detect any anomalies in the picture which is a good thing. Snow White and the Huntsman looks fantastic!

Snow White and the Huntsman arrives on Blu-ray with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless track. For such visually engrossing movie, the audio is equally as pleasant. The dialog is clean and clear throughout. The surrounds are very active and provide good support. The fronts are very balanced and the bass provides pin point accuracy. The track excels because the filmmakers took full advantage of the spacious track. There are no sign of anomalies here. Snow White and The Huntsman sounds fantastic on Blu-ray.

Audio Commentary – Featuring Rupert Sanders, Cedric Nicolas-Troyan and Neil Smith. The track focuses on different aspects of the film including casting, story, costume design, and more. It’s actually quite entertaining.

A New Legend is Born – This is making of featurette and it covers some key points with some behind the scenes footage.

Citizens of the Kingdom – This features 4 quick featurettes; Fairest of Them All: Snow White; The Huntsman; Deliciously Evil: Queen Ravenna; Motley Crew: The Dwarves.

The Magic of Snow White and the Huntsman – This is a very good piece that breaks down the many great visual effects found within the film.

Reinventing the Fairytale – See how the filmmakers got their ideas for Snow White.

Around the Kingdom: 360 degree Set Tour – Take an interactive tour throughout the many sets of the film.

U-Control

Second Screen

BD-Live

Digital Copy

Snow White and the Huntsman was better than I had expected, however, I do believe that the movie would definitely not been the same without Charlize Theron as Ravenna. Theron practically saved the film from being a snoozer, Kristen Stewart was decent, but she definitely couldn’t have held the ground on her own. The film is filled with plenty of eye popping visual effects and the world that was created is fantastic. The Blu-ray is filled with plenty of supplements to keep viewers busy after the credits. The video and audio are fantastic. Charlize Theron fans probably won’t hesitate to add this to their collections, for everyone else I suggest to definitely check it out.