Tag Archives: Fairy tale

Brave is gorgeously told fairy tale! And the short La Luna is amazing!

You may have heard some rumblings. Whispers that Brave does not live up to the high standard set by Pixar. Poppycock! That’s what I say to that. I loved this entry into fairy tale territory and their first princess, is a headstrong, opinionated firecracker, who is not looking for a prince. Excellent! And the bravery they end up addressing delves deeper than just mere adventure and danger. It was funny and heartfelt. I do not about you, but that resonates as a solid Pixar film to me. (As recently discussed at Fog’s Movie Reviews, it may not rank as high as other Pixar Classics, but it is still a worthy addition to the company’s amazing filmography.)

Brave is also carrying many firsts.  It is the Pixar’s first fairy tale and princess movie and it is smartly set in 10th century Scotland. This allows for some unbelievably beautiful scenery. Actually, a bit of trivia is that to make Brave changes (for the first time in over 20 years) had to be made to the studio’s software (to create the complex visuals) and it reaches some incredible realistic heights.

Also, this was the first with a female director in the mix, Brenda Chapman ( with co directors Mark Andrews and Steve Purcell).   I think having Chapman on the team helped since this was the first time the story focused on a female lead.  There were very strong female themes that were explored and I am sure having a woman on board made it easier to be truthful to the feminine perspective.   As someone who appreciates strong women on-screen it was nice to see Pixar put there spin on it and hit the mark.

I will add that the narrative surprised me.  It was NOT what I was expecting given the trailers.  How awesome is that?  And although simple and straightforward it is told in an engaging fashion, full of love and a bit of magic. It made me laugh and it made me tear up (no spillover :D ).  All the voice talent is spot on–especially Kelly Macdonald and Emma Thompson as the mother/daughter team.  I can not too much more for those who have yet to see it.  Go ahead.  Ignore the naysayers.  Pixar had there miss already with Cars 2 :) .  I think you will come out happy you gave it a chance.

Another reason to go see it is for the new short that plays beforehand.  La Luna!  WOW!  It is absolutely lovely and kind of magical.

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Kristen Stewart is the weakest link in Snow White & the Huntsman

Shocker? Not really. But it sure does spoil Snow White and the Huntsman‘s full potential. Which is a shame because there so much to like in this rendition of the Grimm fairy tale.

First time director Rupert Sanders does pretty well when you think of the scale of this film. Visually, it is stunning.  The set design and the look of the film are awesome.  The costumes are elaborate and realistic.  The creature effects are cool (the wood fay and the troll are very sweet!).  The mythology is solid and interesting (I wanted more mythology–it would’ve given the narrative more depth).  With all that, Sanders is able to create a believable universe and that can be difficult to do with this kind of material.

I especially loved the effects surrounding the evil queen–actually, I loved everything about the evil queen.  Charlize Theron is fantastic!  Truly evil.  That level of evil is usually toned down, but here Theron revels in it.  She is even able to bring a shimmer of vulnerability and sadness to her role and that stands as a testament to her talent.

Chris Hemsworth continues his rise and does well as the Huntsman.  He is charismatic and you want to cheer for him. (Hemsworth has the ever mysterious “it”–whatever “it” is–he has it.) Sad, brave, strong and heroic, the Huntsman is the character I wish I knew more about.

The seven dwarfs are also a treat.  They were able to assemble some fine actors (Ian McShane, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Bob Hoskins, Eddie Marsan, Toby Jones and Johnny Harris) to portray these characters, but again–I wanted more.

I wanted more…seems to be the issue here.  This movie felt like the outline of a greater story that needed to be told.  There are so many opportunities to deepen the narrative that are never taken advantage of.  I would have loved to see more of the evil queen’s origins.  I would have loved to see the Huntsman’s self-destructive spiral, so I could appreciate his heroic turn.

And this leads me to the biggest problem…Kristen Stewart‘s Snow White.  Stewart is unable to infuse Snow White with…anything.  She is too wooden (the female Keanu Reeves :D ).  All her emotions seem to be the same.  Fear? Love? Wonder? Pain? All of them–indistinguishable.

Even with the rich mythology–Snow does little more than stumble around and look towards the horizon/woods/castle/etc…expectantly? (If that is what the expression is supposed to be.)  I am not sure if her lack of talent  forced this boring characterization, but it weakens the film.   Stewart pales in comparison to ALL her co-stars–maybe it should have been called The Evil Queen and the Huntsman.

 

I can only imagine how much I would have loved it, if it had a bit more substance and a stronger Snow White.  It could have been a fantasy classic.  Could have.  Now I hear there is a sequel in the works and I can only hope that Miss Stewart is busy doing something else.  Fingers crossed.

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