Between controversial reports that Prince Charming will be a creepy stalker and numerous actors with dwarfism publicly striking down Disney’s decision to re-characterize the seven dwarfs into generalized magical creatures, the soon-to-be-released live-action adaptation ofSnow Whiteis not off to a good start. Rachel Zegler, the actress set to play the iconic princess, even admitted in an interview that she had an immense disliking and a fear towards the character for most of her childhood.
With all these odds seemingly stacked against one of the most beloved franchises of all time, audiences are quickly deserting the movie even before a single trailer arrives. Some dedicated Disney fans are even looking elsewhere for a more honest rendition of the Brothers Grimm tale. Luckily, for those that seem to be lost in the Dark Forest, there is a huntsman that will bring you to a much better film where characters were respectable homages to their original creations and plot elements were not afraid topush conventional limits of storytelling.
An Upgraded Evil Queen Who Steals Life
Released on July 21, 2025, and having an all-star cast that featured Chris Hemsworth as a widowed hunter, Charlize Theron as Ravenna, who is the original interpretationof the Evil Queen, Kristen Stewart as the trademark female character, and the great Ian McShane leading the seven dwarves as Beith,Snow White and the Huntsmangoes back in time and transforms the German fairy tale into a cinematic experience.
Starting with a daunting flashback which shows Snow White’s father going to battle with mysterious glass soldiers who shatter at the touch of a blade, he then marries the woman who seems to be their one and only hostage. One night, this woman reveals herself in an intimate moment and kills him, taking over his kingdom and country in a morbid takeover scene.
Within the first part of the first act alone, this Universal Pictures Production already sets itself far and away from anyDisney defined takeon the princess’s tale (origin or not). Not to mention the fact that only a few scenes before the betrayal, audiences saw Ravenna and a young Snow White in a scene where they seemed to already be getting along fairly well.
With the princess locked away in a very grimy and dingy tower, quality of life rapidly declining for all villagers, and Ravenna literally sucking the youth from young people in order to stay in her prime, all hope seems to be lost and even more so when a visually fascinating but spine-chilling mirror on the wall slithers onto the floor and slowly takes a human form.
Wielding the tradition of the tale, the newest edition of this chaotic character gives Ravenna an objective when it tells her that Snow White is the one that can make her truly immortal, but that same person can destroy her for good. In these scenes, we seethe main antagonist’s abilityto rapidly age victims, and even though she is a woman, the moments where she does so make her look like a monster.
Lost and Afraid In a Terrifying Forest
Another thrilling part of this movie is when our main heroine begins her journey and makes a daring escape from Ravenna’s clutches, only to end up in a place called The Dark Forest. A haunting place that feeds off people’s fears and inserts some maddening hallucinations into their minds.
Creatures come alive reminiscent ofHarry Potter’s Dementors, and tree branches seemingly transform into snake heads only inches from snapping right into the princess’s face. On top of all that, this area of black brush also has spores that release gaseous fumes that kill you ever so slowly.
Luckily though, this is also the same part in the movie where the Huntsman finally comes through and saves Snow White, so not all hope is lost. He was initially hired to take her back to the castle for a quick demise, but after realizing that she could not bring his wife back from the dead, he switched sides.
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Admittedly, there was some controversy with this film when it came to standard height actors’ faces being digitally placed on the dwarves’ bodies within the movie. Nobody can say that the seven people of short stature didn’t pull them away from the spell of the film. The actors playing the roles only drew the audiences even more in.
Eddie Marsan, Nick Frost, Bob Hoskins, and others do a fantastic job ofbringing realism to the roles. After realizing the girl that they captured (along with the huntsman) is actually the one who will save them all, they free the two and escort them through a green refuge. The good times don’t last though as they are attacked by Ravenna’s men (who are also joined by Snow White’s childhood friend who has feelings for her).
Haunting Visuals Capture Audiences
One of the dwarves is killed in battle, and William (the princess’s estranged companion) turns out to be Ravenna, who gives Snow White an apple. As time has told audiences withfairy tale adaptations, this apple is actually encompassed all around by needles, but this is not revealed until after she eats it. On her last ounces of life, Ravenna flies away back to her castle right before she is taken by the Huntsman and his allies. Once there, her blackooze of life is the only essence keeping her alive, and she crawls to her only true validation, the mirror on the wall.
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With shocking twists and turns and plenty of captivating sequences, the final act not only shows the iconic kiss which reawakens a sleeping queen but also a formidable battle between good and evil. With the remaining dwarves (not magical people) lending a hand in this ultimate war between two armies, the evil glass soldiers returning, and Snow White herself gearing up in battle clad armor, this is one movie that will absolutely take your attention away from the newest Disney fiasco.
