Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain
Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
Genre: Adventure
Duration: 114 minutes
Showing: Cinema Magic Metroplex Mall Naalya and Century Cinemax Acacia Mall, Kisementi
The Huntsman is back! For a while it seemed like there would not be another movie –this one comes four years later after all. Some behind-the-scenes drama from Snow White and the Huntsman may be to blame. First, a director was lost when news of his affair with Kristen Stewart, who played Snow White, became public. Then it seemed like there would not be a sequel after his replacement also parted ways with the studio. Fortunately, Nicolas-Troyan, who was the visual effects artist on the first movie directed this one. But instead of a sequel, we have a prequel.
In fact, the events of The Huntsman: Winter’s War happen before Snow White and her heart are an issue. This should clear things up for anyone who has been wondering why the evil Queen Ravenna (Theron) who died in the previous movie is alive now. In fact, we have another evil queen in this movie, Ravenna’s sister Freya (Blunt). Freya who is an ice queen, figuratively and literally, was not as cold as she is for the better part of the movie. In the beginning, she is in a relationship with a duke; pregnant with his child even, when things go wrong. The duke kills her child, in turn Freya also kills him and unleashes her inner snow queen.
She moves to the mountains, collects children and turns them into coldhearted soldiers –yes, she freezes their hearts. Two of these soldiers, Eric and Sara, fall in love and plan to run away. Freya won’t have any of it so she separates them. Fast forward to the present and Eric (Hemsworth), now in the huntsman mode we know him for, is hunting for the magic mirror. In his hunt he runs into Sara (Chastain) again and together with a band of dwarves, have a lot of evil to battle on their hands.
The storyline is familiar if you are familiar with The Snow Queen, which is why it is a delight that the movie’s strength lies in its visual effects. The effects are made of all the stuff that make us go to the cinema. The movie may not be popular with film critiques but it should be a hit with movie lovers who are in it just for the thrill. There is also no faulting the cast either; have you seen this lineup?