Blu-ray Review: SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN (2012)

SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN
Directed by Rupert Sanders
Distributed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment

 I meant to check this film out when it hit theaters, but I never got the chance to see it.  While not a horror film by any means, it does have a few horror elements to it and is a very dark take on the classic fairytale.  For that reason, I am reviewing it on my blog.

 SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN stars Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman, and Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen.  All the actors do a great job in this film, but what really takes center stage here is the visuals.   This film is stunning in terms of how it looks and the visual effects.  This is is especially true when watched on Blu-ray in 1080p High-Def.  This is one film that really needs to be seen in HD to really appreciate it.  If you are unfamiliar with this film, here is the basic synopsis from the film's official website:

  From the Producer of Alice in Wonderland comes a new vision that turns a legendary tale into an action-adventure epic. The evil Queen Ravenna (Academy Award® winner Charlize Theron) will rule forever if she can take the life of Snow White (Kristen Stewart), so she dispatches the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to track her down. But the wicked ruler never imagined that the Huntsman would train the girl to become a brave warrior, skilled in the art of war.

  In terms of horror, there are some horror elements to it like I said....including giant troll monsters, an army of evil soldiers, and the aforementioned Queen herself.  The Evil Queen from this film makes the one from the animated version look like Mary Poppins.  The Evil Queen will stop at nothing to maintain her youthful appearance and beauty, even going so far as to physically suck the youth and beauty from young women.   This immediately ages the young women, sucking out their youth and turning them into frail old ladies, but in turn retains the Evil Queen's youth and beauty.

 Overall, I thought this was a good film.  While I did find it slow in some areas, it was still nice to look at from the visual effects standpoint.  It was also interesting to see how they filmmakers kept all the main components of the original Snow White story, but added their own take and modern twists to the tale. What is really impressive about the DVD/Blu-ray itself, is the amount of Bonus Features contained on the discs.  Both the DVD and Blu-ray contain the Theatrical Version (128 minutes) of the film, along with an Extended Version  (132 minutes).  The DVD and Blu-ray contain the following Bonus Features:

*  Extended Edition of the film
*  Feature Commentary with Director Rupert Sanders, Visual Effects Supervisor Cedric Nicolas-Troyan and Co-Editor Neil Smith
*  A New Legend is Born Beginning with the assembly an amazing international cast of renowned actors, we’ll take a step-by-step look at how this new take on the classic tale was brought to film. From the initial screen tests to the final frames of footage shot, this in-depth look at how this beloved story was transformed for today’s audiences will be as exiting an adventure as the film itself.


  The Blu-ray version also contains these additional Blu-ray exclusive Bonus Features:

*  SECOND SCREEN An interactive viewing experience that lets you control, interact with and explore Snow White & The Huntsman with your networked tablet of computer.       
*  BEHIND THE SCENES WITH FLICK VIEW Viewers get an all access look at the making of the film featuring interviews with cast and crew.
*  AROUND THE KINGDOM: 360° SET TOUR Explore the magical environments of Snow White and the Huntsman in a scrolling 360 panoramic view. (The Throne Room, the Mirror Room, the Village, Castle Courtyard, King Magnus’ Tents)
*  VIRTUAL FLIP BOOKS Graphics
*  CAST OF CHARACTERS Graphics
*  Includes UltraViolet and Digital Copy of Snow White & The Huntsman to watch anytime, anywhere
*  Reinventing the Fairytale This feature will explore how this timeless tale was given new life. Explore the vast amount of research, conceptualization and artwork that went into this film before the first frame of film was ever shot.
*  Citizens of the Kingdom:

• Fairest of them all: Snow White Kristen Taking on the title role of Snow White & The Huntsman, Kristen Stewart meets the challenge of reinventing the classic fairytale icon and updating her for a 21st Century audience. In a character that radiates both inner and outer beauty, Snow White must triumph over evil by leading an army, sword in hand.
• Deliciously Evil: Queen Ravenna Academy Award® winner, Charlize Theron has been known for completely transforming herself when she inhabits a role. Charlize will punctuate the piece throughout with comments about the challenge of portraying this stunningly flawed, deliciously evil character.
• The Hunstman As one of today’s hottest up and coming stars, Chris Hemsworth has embodied this anti-hero completely. In this piece, Chris talks about what it took to become the Huntsman and how he learned to inhabit this tortured, yet likable character.
• Motley Crew: The Dwarves Part amazing performance, part inspired casting and part digital magic, no one piece created the dwarves, but once revealed their story will be forever memorable.

*  The Magic of Snow White & the Huntsman With the vision of Snow White and the Huntsman Rupert Sanders wanted to redefine the world of Snow White into something living and breathing and then dying under the rule of Ravenna. An inside look into how the VFX team would create a realistic yet fantastical world unlike the movies have ever seen. Explore what it took to create the otherworldly elements that make Snow White and the Huntsman so unique:

• Mirror Man
• Shrinking of the Dwarves
• The Enchanted Forest
• Ravenna’s Dark Magic

*  Around the Kingdom: 360° Set Tour Explore the magical environments of Snow White and the Huntsman in a scrolling 360 panoramic view. (King Magnus’ Courtyard, The Village, Duke Hammond’s Castle Encampment, Queen )
*  pocketBLU™ Experience Blu-ray™ in an exciting new way with the pocket BLU™ app for iPad®, iPhone®, iPod® Touch, Android™, smartphones and tables, PC and Mac®.

• Advanced Virtual Remote and Keyboard Control Blu-ray™ features and communicate with ease.
• Video Timeline Instantly access any point in the film.
• Mobile-To-Go Transfer exclusive bonus features to your device to enjoy anytime, anywhere.
• Browse Titles Access a library of available titles and previews.
• BD-Live™ Access a library of available titles and previews.
• My Scenes Bookmark your favorite scenes and share.
• D-Box Motion enabled

SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN is available now on DVD and Blu-ray combo pack.


CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website and watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray combo pack (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy/Ultraviolet)