To say I wasn’t excited for Huntsman: Winter’s War would be an understatement. The first one left me completely underwhelmed, and I couldn’t possibly think of a good reason for a sequel to exist. Was there so much more to be told about this world? Snow White took her rightful place, the wicked Queen was dead and everyone got their happy ending. Quite surprisingly and despite a myriad of problems, Winter’s War is a fun and decent enough popcorn flick that will amuse most audiences. Just remember to check your brain at the door.
Winter’s War focuses strongly on the events that lead to the downfall of the mild-mannered Freya (Emily Blunt) who is the sister of the wicked Ravenna (Charlize Theron). Betrayed by the one she loves, Freya’s heart freezes and transforms her into Elsa … I mean, the bitter and hateful Queen of the North. She controls her empire with an iron fist and has her armies kidnap children to replace the one that was lost to her. She trains them to become her Huntsmen, and it is here that we meet young Eric (Chris Hemsworth) and Sara (Jessica Chastain) who are the best of the best of her private guard. The two dare to commit the unforgiveable sin of falling in love, and Eric is cast out while Sara is brutally murdered before his eyes. Skipping ahead seven years and after the events of Snow White, we find Eric is living happily freed from the worries of armies, royalty and being responsible for anyone but himself. This changes when Snow White’s royal guards informs him that Ravenna’s Magic Mirror has been stolen on its way to sanctuary. Eric and the returning dwarves, Nion (Nick Frost) and Gryff (Rob Brydon) must track down the Magic Mirror before Freya can get to it first and use its evil power to conquer the whole of the world.
I wasn’t kidding when I said the best thing to do is turn your brain off before walking into this movie. It’s entirely predictable, the plot is so basic as almost to be nonexistent, and no one is going to walk away talking about how this blew them away and changed their lives. But you know what? That’s perfectly fine; not every movie needs to be Citizen Kane. Winter’s War is fully aware it’s telling a fairy tale and never tries to be more than a simple story to have fun with.
It’s incredibly apparent that everyone was having a fantastic time making this movie, and that charm seeps through into the final product. Charlize Theron, again, gets to chew through scenery like none other and absolutely thrives as the embodiment of true evil. Not to be outdone, Emily Blunt works perfectly as the more restrained, yet still just as ruthless, Freya. Sure, her motivation is a bit muddled yet still completely understandable and sets her up more as a tragic anti-hero than a true villain. The moment she turns into the Ice Queen is one of the darker and more horrible things I’ve seen in a movie in awhile. Winter’s War definitely earns its stronger PG-13 rating.
Not all is dreary though, as Nick Frost and Rob Brydon are splendidly charming as the dwarves and provide the moments of levity darker films desperately need. Even better are Sheriden Smith and Alexandra Roach as the female dwarves they encounter and tag along if only to harass Frost and Brydon.
Jessica Chastain is a wonderfully powerful female lead who easily holds her own against Chris Hemsworth in the many action and battle scenes. In fact, if there’s one flaw with the casting it’s Hemsworth himself who manages to be handsome and charming but nowhere near as interesting as those around him.
Lastly, this is an absolutely gorgeous film and carries over the one thing the original did correctly. From the elaborate costumes to the sets that make you believe these people are actually in a storybook land, Winter’s War nails all of this beautifully. The special effects aren’t anything all that special, but they do combine with the atmosphere to deliver an experience that truly feels like a fairy tale.
This isn’t going to rewrite the books on how to film fantasy, and maybe my expectations were just so low going in that I was surprised I had a good time. Either way, Winter’s War manages to improve upon every facet of the original and ends up being a beautiful, if dumb, experience. And sometimes, that’s all you need in a movie.
Quality: 3 and ½ out of 5 stars– Winter’s War isn’t going to win any awards or probably even be remembered a few months from now, but it’s escapism at its finest. Charming characters in a surprisingly interesting and storied universe that fixes the flaws of what came before.
Queerness: ½ out of 6 Kinseys– This very much follows the Grimm’s Fairy Tales way of doing things and doesn’t include any LGBT representation. Strong, ass-kicking portrayals of women do garner it a part of a point. Also, per his standard movie contract stipulation, Chris Hemsworth takes a bath along with Jessica Chastain, so that gives everyone something fun to gander at for a few minutes
