Psycho's Movie Reviews #198: The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016)

The Huntsman: Winter's War is a 2016 American fantasy action-adventure film. Both a prequel and sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), it takes place before and after the events of the first film. The film is the directorial debut of Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, who was a visual effects supervisor and second unit director on the first film. It is written by Craig Mazin and Evan Spiliotopoulos, based on characters created by Evan Daugherty, which like the first film were inspired by the fairy tale "Snow White" compiled by the Brothers Grimm, as well as "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Andersen. Reprising their roles from the first film, the cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Nick Frost, and Sam Claflin. The film also introduced new characters played by Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain, and Rob Brydon.

The Huntsman: Winter's War premiered in Hamburg on March 29, 2016, and was released in the United States on April 22, 2016, by Universal Pictures. The film received generally negative reviews from critics, with praise for the visuals and cast but many feeling the film was unnecessary. It grossed $165 million worldwide against an estimated $115 million production cost.

Plot

Evil sorceress Queen Ravenna's powers allow her to know that her younger sister Freya, whose powers have not yet emerged, is not only involved in an illicit affair with nobleman Andrew, but is also pregnant with his child. Freya gives birth to a baby girl, but later discovers that Andrew has murdered their child. In grief-fueled rage, her broken heart freezes over and she kills him with her sudden emergence of powers - the elemental control of ice.

Freya leaves, building herself a new kingdom in the icy north. Ruling as the much-feared Ice Queen, she orders parents to be killed and their children to be abducted and brought to her castle so they can be trained to be an army of huntsmen to conquer for her, and she teaches them to avoid the pain of love that she suffered. Despite the training, two of her best huntsmen, Eric and Sara, fall in love. Sara claims Eric in "marriage" by giving him her mother's medallion necklace. They plan to escape to a free life together but are discovered by Freya. Sara is apparently killed while Eric is beaten and thrown into a river.

Seven years later, after Ravenna's death (in the first film), Queen Snow White falls ill after hearing Ravenna's Magic Mirror beckon her. Because of its dark magic, she orders it to be taken to Sanctuary, the magical place that sheltered her during the events leading to Ravenna's defeat, where the Mirror's magic can be contained. Snow White's husband, William, informs Eric that the soldiers tasked with carrying the Mirror went missing on route. Knowing its dark magic can make Freya stronger, Eric agrees to try and retrieve the Mirror; Snow White's dwarf ally Nion and his half-brother Gryff accompany him.

They travel to the last location of the soldiers. Eric discovers they killed one another with their own weapons. The trio are attacked by Freya's huntsmen and are rescued by Sara, revealed to be alive. Sara explains that she was imprisoned by Freya all this time, and only escaped recently. She has not forgiven Eric, thinking that he abandoned her. They decipher that Eric was shown an illusion of Sara's death, while she was made to see him running rather than fighting to help. Eric manages to convince her that Freya tricked them.

The next day, the group go to the forest of the goblins who stole the mirror. During the fight, Sara notices that Eric still wears the necklace she gave him. They retrieve the mirror and after a fight in which Eric protects Sara and she saves him, the group makes it out unharmed. That night, Eric and Sara have sex. The next morning, Freya attacks and reveals Sara has been loyal to her all along. Sara shoots an arrow at Eric, who appears to die. Freya departs with the Mirror but is unaware that Sara purposely hit Eric's medallion necklace, protecting him from dying. At her palace, Freya asks the Mirror who is the "fairest of them all," resurrecting Ravenna, who became one with the Mirror when Snow White vanquished her.

Eric attempts to assassinate Freya, but is stopped by Ravenna. Ravenna begins to attack the huntsmen, and Freya, who has come to regard the huntsmen as her own children, protects them with an ice wall. As Eric, Sara, and the huntsmen climb over the wall to retrieve the Mirror and help Freya, the sisters argue. Ravenna lets slip that she's responsible for Freya's powers. Suspicious, Freya forces Ravenna (who as the mirror's captive spirit must answer her summoner's questions truthfully) to reveal that the Mirror had told her Freya's child would become more beautiful than Ravenna. Ravenna then enchanted Andrew to kill the baby so she could remain "the fairest of them all." Outraged, Freya turns on her sister but is impaled by her. With her remaining strength, she freezes the Mirror and Eric shatters it, destroying Ravenna. As Freya dies, she smiles, both at Sara and Eric, and at a vision of her younger self holding her baby.

With Freya's death, those who had been imprisoned by her magic are set free. Eric, Sara and the huntsmen look forward to a new future, with Eric and Sara happy to have a free life together for the first time.

In a post-credits scene, Snow White is seen from behind, as a mysterious golden bird lands on the balcony next to her.

Production

Development

A sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman was initially planned with director Rupert Sanders in talks to return. The sequel plans were changed in August 2012 to a spin-off film concentrating on the Huntsman instead. Universal announced a few days later that they were not shelving the sequel. Another report stated that Universal authorised a sequel with Stewart set to reprise her role, but without Sanders to return as the director. A script was written and production was set to begin at some point in 2013, with the film to be released in 2015. On June 4, 2014, Deadline reported that Frank Darabont, Gavin O'Connor and Andrés Muschietti were on the shortlist to direct a sequel. On June 26, 2014, Deadline confirmed that Darabont was in talks to direct the sequel.

On July 31, 2014, it was announced that the film would be a prequel titled Huntsman and would not star Stewart as Snow White. Two years later, Stewart said that she voluntarily turned down an offer from the studio to provide a cameo in the film. On January 16, 2015, it was announced that Darabont had exited the film after he parted with Universal. Hemsworth and Theron were set to return for the film, while Emily Blunt was being circled for a new role. On January 20, 2015, it was confirmed that VFX specialist Cedric Nicolas-Troyan was set to direct the film, whose last draft was written by Darabont, following drafts by Craig Mazin and Evan Spiliotopoulos.

Casting

On February 24, 2015, Jessica Chastain was set to star in the film, Nick Frost was confirmed to reprise his previous role, while Blunt, who had been rumored to be interested, finally closed a deal to star as well. On March 18, 2015, it was revealed that Sheridan Smith, Rob Brydon, and Alexandra Roach were added to the cast to play dwarves alongside Frost's character Nion. TheWrap confirmed on May 7, 2015, that Sam Claflin would return as William in the sequel.

Filming

Principal photography on the film began on April 6, 2015. Filming took place at Waverley Abbey in Surrey, England in April 2015. Filming also occurred from May to July 2015 in Windsor Great Park, England, at locations including South Forest, Johnson's Pond and in the Deer Park near Snow Hill. Filming was also done in Wells Bishop's Palace and Wells Cathedral. In July 2015, filming also took place at Puzzlewood, in the Forest of Dean.

Music

On October 8, 2015, it was officially announced, that James Newton Howard would return to score the film, after creating the music for Snow White and the Huntsman. The score album was released on April 22, 2016. Singer Halsey promoted the film by releasing an alternate version of her song "Castle", along with a subsequent music video, made for the film.

Release/Reception/Box Office

On July 31, 2014, Universal Pictures announced the film's release date would be April 22, 2016. In February 2016, it was announced that the film would be released in 3D in international markets like Germany. In Poland, the theatrical release was scheduled for April 8, 2016, which was the date for many other international markets.

On November 16, 2015, Universal Pictures unveiled four character posters for the film, along with the film's new title, The Huntsman: Winter's War. Three days later, on November 18, 2015, the first official trailer of the film was released, along with two additional teaser posters. A second trailer debuted on February 11, 2016. Universal released a final trailer on March 22, 2016. Hemsworth, Theron, and Chastain introduced a performance by Halsey of "Castle" at the 2016 MTV Movie Awards.

The Huntsman: Winter's War was released on Digital HD on August 2, 2016, and was followed by a release on Blu-ray and DVD on August 23, 2016. The film debuted at No. 1 on the home video sales chart. A Blu-ray extended edition (with DVD & digital HD) was also released with a run time of 120 minutes.

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a rating of 20%, based on 220 reviews, with an average rating of 4.30/10. The site's consensus reads, "The Huntsman: Winter's War is visually arresting and boasts a stellar cast, but neither are enough to recommend this entirely unnecessary sequel." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 35 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating "generally unfavourable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, and PostTrak surveys give it a total positive score of 72% but only a 49% audience recommendation.

The Huntsman: Winter's War grossed $48.4 million in North America and $116.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $165 million, against a production budget of $115 million.

Budget $115 million

Box office $165 million

My Review

Let me say up front that for one reason or another I never got around to seeing the previous film that ties into this, Snow White And The Huntsman. When I heard that this film was supposed to be a prequel to that one I was glad knowing that I hadn't lost anything from one film to the next. Except that this film is not only a prequel but a sequel as well. The first 30 minutes or so sets the stage for what would be the first film but then moves to events that transpire afterwards. In the end it doesn't matter, nothing is lost and the film can be enjoyed or not on its own terms.

The film opens with the tale of two sisters, one the evil princess Ravenna (Charlize Theron) who poisons the king and then takes his throne. Nearby is her sister Queen Freya (Emily Blunt), who takes on a lover and bears a child. Ravenna bewitches the man into killing the child because of a premonition provided her by her magic mirror. Freya is distraught, killing the man and condemning herself to a life without love, something she intends to eliminate from her entire kingdom.

Bound with her cold heart are her powers over cold as well. She has her guards go out and capture children to serves as her special forces, raised to be without love and as cold and calculating killers as she is herself. But as the children grow love will surely find a way to some of them and it does in the form of Eric (Chris Hemsworth), the Huntsman of the first film, and Sara (Jessica Chastain), the two best members of the elite force Freya has assembled. When word of their betrayal reaches her she orders them to run the gauntlet of the group. Being the best there is they survive but Freya interferes and raises a wall of ice between them, letting each see their worst nightmares in the other before her guards take down Eric and toss him into a nearby river. So ends the prequel.

Years later, and after the first film, the magic mirror once used by Ravenna is being transported to a vault for safekeeping. Unfortunately it is uncovered and those guarding it kill one another. Snow White sends word to Eric via two of her dwarfs to assist in recovering it which he eventually comes around to doing, especially when he learns that Freya has her eye set on the mirror to gain power.

The trio set out and are eventually attacked by Freya's men. Their salvation arrives in the form of Sara, still alive and filled with fury for Eric abandoning her. Or so she thought. While his vision of her was her death, the one Freya provided Sara was Eric abandoning her to save himself. As they carry on to recover the mirror they go about trying to set things straight. Along the way they meet two female dwarfs who join in the adventure.

Several escapades, adventures and mishaps later the mirror is recovered. Unfortunately Freya is nearby and takes control of the prized possession. Captured and escorted to her castle along with the mirror, the real magic involved in it is revealed and a battle for this world soon follows. Crosses and double crosses occur, true feelings are on display and an end to the long time battle follows involving all parties with the exception of the missing Snow White (I'm guessing Kristen Stewart didn't want to be involved). Will true love win the day? So the fact is there is plenty of story here to work with. At times perhaps too much. What does work well, surprisingly, is the combination of prequel/sequel. You never feel like you're missing a part of the story. Enough information is inserted to make it all plausible. But then there are moments when you feel like okay, enough already, let's move forward.

The film provides plenty of action mixed with decent doses of humour making for a fun film. But in the end when all is said and done it doesn't feel like a great movie. It feels just sort of there, as if it was made with good intentions but not a lasting quality that will make you want to watch it more than once. Yes, I enjoyed it but will I want to revisit it again? I'm not so sure I will. The performances are fine, the direction is fine and the photography is well done. But the movie falls prey to one of the worst things possible that seems to be a growing trend. It relies far too much of CGI effects to the point where several items on display take forever to finish. Trust me, a long flowing robe of liquid that solidifies into a character is not exciting to watch, not done well enough to make it feel real and boring when you get down to it. So why make it last seemingly forever.

Having grown up with the classic films of Ray Harryhausen I am a great lover of all things special effects. But even Harryhausen knew not to overuse them. And sequences that did used them and then move forward rather than take forever for them to develop. The film makers here could have used that sense of enough of a good thing. Rely on your actors, on your story and less on the effects to tell your tale.

A good enough film, a solid evening's entertainment, but as for collecting this is one for fans of the stars and completest who want the entire film collection on hand. 8.7/10