Disney’s live-action adaptation of Snow White will never top this Universal Pictures adaptation
Between controversial reports that Prince Charming will be a creepy stalker and numerous actors with dwarfism who publicly repudiated Disney’s decision to turn the seven dwarfs into generalized magical creatures, the upcoming live-action adaptation of snow white didn’t get off to a good start. Rachel Zegler, the actress who will play the iconic princess, even admitted in an interview that she harbored a great dislike and fear of the character for most of her childhood.
With all of these odds seemingly stacked against one of the most popular franchises of all time, viewers quickly abandon the film before even a single trailer appears. Some dedicated Disney fans even look elsewhere for a more honest rendering of the Brothers Grimm story. Luckily for those who seem lost in the Dark Forest, there’s a Hunter to lead you to a much better film, where the characters were respectable homages to their original creations, and the plot elements weren’t afraid to push the conventional limits of the to transcend storytelling.
An upgraded Evil Queen that steals life
Released June 12, 2012 and features an all-star cast including Chris Hemsworth as the widowed hunter and Charlize Theron as Ravenna, the original interpretation the evil queenKristen Stewart as the quintessential female character and the great Ian McShane, who leads the seven dwarfs as Beith, Snow White and the Hunter goes back in time and transforms the German fairy tale into a cinematic experience.
Beginning with an intimidating flashback showing Snow White’s father struggling with mysterious glass soldiers that shatter at the touch of a blade, he then marries the woman who appears to be her only hostage. One night this woman reveals herself in an intimate moment, kills him and takes over his kingdom and country in a morbid takeover scene.
In the first part of the first act alone, this Universal Pictures production already strays far from any Disney-defined interpretation of the princess story (origin or not). Not to mention the fact that just a few scenes before the betrayal, audiences saw Ravenna and a young Snow White in a scene where they seemed to be getting along pretty well already.
With the princess imprisoned in a very dirty and dingy tower, the quality of life of all the villagers rapidly declining, and Ravenna literally depriving young people of their youth to stay in their prime, all hope seems lost, and even more so when She does. A visually intriguing but spooky mirror on the wall slides onto the floor and slowly takes on a human form.
Continuing the story’s tradition, the latest installment of this chaotic character gives Ravenna a purpose when she tells her that Snow White is the one who can truly make her immortal, but the same person can destroy her forever. In these scenes we see the main antagonist’s ability to age victims quickly, and despite being a woman, she looks like a monster in the moments when she does so.
Lost and scared in a terrible forest
Another exciting part of this film is when our main heroine begins her journey and makes a brave escape from Ravenna’s clutches, only to end up in a place called “Dark Forest”. A haunting place that feeds on people’s fears and instills insane hallucinations in them.
Creatures come alive and commemorate Harry Potter’s dementors and tree branches seemingly transform into snake heads just inches from snapping squarely in the princess’s face. In addition, this area of black bushes also has spores that release gaseous fumes that will kill you very slowly.
Fortunately, however, this is also the same part of the movie where the hunter finally comes through and saves Snow White, so all hope isn’t lost. He was originally hired to bring her back to the castle, where she met her quick end, but when he realized she couldn’t bring his wife back from the dead, he switched sides.
Admittedly, there was some controversy with this film when it came to digitally placing the full-size actors’ faces on the bodies of the dwarves in the film. Nobody can say that the seven short people didn’t tear them away from the film. The actors playing the roles only captivated the audience even more.
Eddie Marsan, Nick Frost, Bob Hoskins and others are doing a fantastic job Bring realism to the roles. Realizing that the girl they captured (along with the hunter) is actually the one who will save them all, they free the two and escort them through a green shelter. The good times don’t last, however, as they are attacked by Ravenna’s men (who are also joined by Snow White’s childhood friend, who harbors feelings for her).
Haunting images captivate the audience
One of the dwarfs is killed in battle and William (the Princess’ estranged companion) is revealed to be Ravenna giving Snow White an apple. As time has shown viewers in fairy tale adaptations, this apple is actually surrounded by needles all around, but this is only revealed after she has eaten it. In the final stages of her life, Ravenna flies back to her castle just before being captured by the hunter and his allies. Once there, her black life slime is the only essence keeping her alive, and she crawls to her only true affirmation, the mirror on the wall.
With shocking twists and many captivating sequences, the final act not only features the iconic kiss that awakens a sleeping queen, but also a terrifying battle between good and evil. With the remaining dwarves (not magical humans) joining hands in this ultimate war between two armies, the evil Glass Soldiers returning, and Snow White outfitting herself in battle-hardened armor, this is one movie that will absolutely take your attention away from the latest Disney fiasco .
