'The Huntsman: Winter's War' Movie Review

Hello, fellow moviegoers!
   Fantasy is considered to be one of the main pillars of fictional storytelling. However, big-budget fantasy films have had a less than stellar track record. Other than the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, no fantasy film franchise has successfully cemented its place in pop culture. That being said, there are many that try.
   The Huntsman: Winter’s War stars Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron, and Emily Blunt. It’s a semi-sequel to 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman. As war wages between Freya and Ravenna, queen sisters, Chris Hemsworth, and Jessica Chastain train to fight alongside Freya, the Ice Queen. When they fall into a forbidden love, they must decide to either follow orders or do what they believe is right. So is this a movie you need to be rushing out to see?

   The Huntsman: Winter’s War is the type of film you watch once, enjoy it, and then forget about it after that. You don’t really need to go out of your way to see this movie. If it interests you, you’ll probably have a really fun time with it. Otherwise, this is the film you see on TV that you decide to sit down and watch because you really have nothing better to do.
   That isn’t to say that this is a bad film. No, I believe that this is actually a good film. You can watch this film, and have a fun time with it. It has romance, comedy, drama, action, and pretty much whatever anyone would want out of any specific genre of film. However, when you take all of those things and throw them together in a very uninteresting and predictable plot, it can get to be a bit lack-luster.
   By far the best thing in this film is the cast. Chris Hemsworth once again shows that he can be a really good action star, he just needs that one film outside of Marvel to make that really click with audiences. The rest of the lead cast consisting of Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron, and Emily Blunt, also did very good jobs in their respective roles. However, just like the film as a whole, it felt as if there was more that could have been done to make them more compelling and interesting to the audience.
   There were several characters in this film that were really hit-and-miss, particularly the dwarf characters. Some of their scenes and jokes were hilarious, but for the most part, they were awkward and boring. They didn’t really add much to the plot, and it’s painfully obvious they're just the comedic relief.
   There are moments of this film that are actually very interesting and original, but then they get washed away when the film immediately becomes a by-the-numbers cliché modern fantasy film with too many “twists” to count. Honestly, I don’t know how many times the “this character isn't actually dead” card was played, but it was too much. Also, why was Liam Neeson narrating this film? Was there any point to that? It stood out. A lot. And not in a good way…
   I applaud the creativity in the design of the film. Visually, this film was very intriguing and engaging. All of the individual creatures in this film felt as if they had their own stories to tell. There were some very bright and vibrant colors in this film that worked really well. Because of this, when everything turned to ice around Freya (a character’s name I had to look up because it’s so forgettable) it really created a much-needed sense of atmosphere.
   The Huntsman: Winter’s War is a decent film, but it’s not something that I’m going to strongly recommend you go out and see. If you really have nothing to do this weekend, take a small group of friends. There is fun to be had in all of its ridiculousness.
6/10

   So what did you think of The Huntsman: Winter’s War? Would you like to see more movies in this franchise? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this review, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don’t forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and other miscellaneous movie thoughts!
 
Thanks for stopping by!