Snow Whiteapolooza review

2012 may be the year the world ends, but it is also the year of Snow White (some people might not see a difference).  Since the recent lapse in Snow White's copyright (retained forevermore it seemed by Disney),  two, count 'em two, major motion pictures were produced and released this year barely a few months apart of each other!  Overkill?  Well it only takes one poison apple to kill Ms. White, but with two it better get the job done... right?  Well, sort of.  I'm of course talking about March's Mirror Mirror and June's Snow White and the Huntsman.  I figured that before reviewing one, I should watch the other, and then I figured I should review them both together and compare and contrast; so that is exactly what I'm doing.  In addition, I would like to point out that I did watch both in theaters, so Mirror Mirror isn't as fresh, but that really shouldn't matter as both films are, surprisingly and thankfully, extremely different (despite following the same story arc).  But we all know the story:  Evil Queen takes control of the kingdom and imprisons Snow White, SW escapes to the forest, meets dwarfs, meets handsome prince, yadda yadda yadda, happily ever after.  I'll briefly tackle each one on its own first (starting with the earlier of the two), and then I will compare at the end, and then I will pour a stiff drink and stop.

Mirror Mirror

Being the first of the two very different 2012 Snow White films, Mirror Mirror has the advantage  of first dibs on a Snow White audience when snow might actually still be on the ground in most places!  If that is not reason enough to see it then there might not be anything else really worth seeing at the theaters, but I digress.  Mirror, first and foremost, takes a lighter path with the original Grimm story, choosing a mostly comic, slightly offbeat, and even postmodern (at times) tone.  Much of the screen time actually belongs to the Evil Queen (played to the nth degree by Julia Roberts); indeed, the screen story actually plays out mostly from her perspective, which is a refreshing notion.  But Snow White (played by Lily Collins) retains much of the focus, and the film provides an enjoyably innocent treatment of the Grimm allegory for loss of virginity.  While it's true that the script doesn't have much meat too it, it's clear that Mirror doesn't take itself to seriously in the first place, and the damage is not as severe if say the film had a different tone (hint hint).  Anything else the film lacks it makes up in gorgeous cinematography.  Director Tarsem Seign (the visionary mastermind behind the magnificent The Fall (2006)) packs each frame to the brim with color, shape, and tone, resulting in a visual style pitch perfect for the film's comic tendencies.    All in all, Mirror Mirror is certainly an enjoyable experience even if it is a bit hokey.

Snow White and the Huntsman

Being the second of the two very different 2012 Snow White films, Snow White and the Huntsman has the advantage of summer draw, and of course Ms. Twilight herself.  If you couldn't tell by the trailers, Huntsman takes a much darker path, trading a young innocent girl on the edge of being a woman for a warrior princess born to lead an army into battle.  This is a very serious Snow White film: the Evil Queen (played by an icy Charlize Theron) is actually evil, and the kingdom is actually in peril.  Visually the film is quite impressive, utilizing more of an action-based rhythm and CG aesthetic for the more supernatural elements, whiles ultimately works quite well with darker and more frantic treatment.  However, despite Huntsman's visual successes, the script is pretty flat, and the film is far too serious to get away with that, and it doesn't help that Bella Swan errrrrrr Snow White (Kristen Stewart)  doesn't really quite work (but more on that later).  In addition, there are a few gaping plot holes that undermine the pacing, mostly to do with the geography of the film and how the characters inconsistently move through it.  First time director Rupert Sanders does an impressive job at yoking the darkness inherent in the Grimm subtext, but the film's ends don't quite justify the means.  Yes Snow White and the Huntsman is dark and exciting, but the wooden acting and mismanaged storyline makes it all a bit lifeless.


And now for the match up!

It's actually sort of difficult to pit these films against each other because they are so different and have their own pros and cons.  Furthermore, it really depends on what mood you're in or what version of Snow White you identify with.  Both films succeed visually, but one is mise-en-scene based and the other montage.  Both films stumble in the script department, but one is a fluffy comedy and the other is  a cold drama.  So you can see that these two films are apples and oranges; THAT BEING SAID, if we are to judge these two films solely on the character of Snow White (which we probably should), Collins is hands down the better of the two.  I mean, I know that Stewart is meant to bring out the "bad-ass-women-in-charge" deal, but once again she sleepwalks through her role, and I just can't get behind Stewart being the fairest of them all.  And in that sense, Mirror Mirror probably makes for the better movie, as well as adheres more to the actual Grimm story subtext.  In a perfect world, however, a combination of the two films would probably produce a superior product (I would personally say keep most of Mirror Mirror, but make it a little darker and longer), but I guess it's nice to have this kind of diversity.  In the end, it's worth seeing them both, but the comedy is the easier one to return to.  Of course, you could just pop in the 1937 Disney Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and have the same image of Snow White that you've always had!      

McS