Snow White and the Huntsman - B-

Rated PG-13, 127 minutes

Theron breathes life into this dark, enjoyable take on "Snow White"

In a movie about the fairest of them all, it's the evil queen who steals the show. "Snow White and the Huntsman" is the dark new version of the Grimm fairy tale that's vastly entertaining and held together by the delectably evil queen played by Oscar-winner Charlize Theron. There are some nice touches and others a little more odd, but most of it works remarkably well, albeit far, far different than the previous comedic version this year, "Mirror, Mirror" that had another Oscar-winner, Julia Roberts, in the role of the evil queen. In this story, the evil Queen Rivenna (Theron) has overtaken the land but soon learns from her Magic Mirror that she will soon be surpassed as the "fairest of them all" by her own stepdaughter, Snow White (Kristen Stewart). However, Snow White escapes to the dark forest and Rivenna summons a huntsman named Eric (Chris Hemsworth) to bring her back so she can steal Snow's heart. But Snow encounters seven dwarfs who help her lead a revolution to take back the land. "Snow White and the Huntsman" is a darkly entertaining version of the tale that's likely closer to the tone of the original Grimm tale but nothing like the Disney tale we've always known. Though it takes much of the romance out and it often plays like a version of "Snow White Meets Braveheart," it's held together with verve by Theron, wonderfully cast here as the mean queen and who holds the screen with force. Given the familiarity of the tale, we know all too well her fate, but her magnetic presence is overpowering and you miss her when she's not on screen. Stewart and Hemsworth are solid but overshadowed by Theron; Stewart is good but lacks the presence of a fair maiden though she certainly possesses the strength of a princess. In an odd bit of casting, the dwarfs are all played by familiar (and non-dwarf) character actors: Nick Frost, Ian McShane, Ray Winstone, Bob Hoskins, Toby Jones and Eddie Marsen among them, though this actually adds to the charm of the film. The sets, the costumes and the music (including a nice new song by rock group Florence and the Machine played over the end credits) are all first-rate. In a summer filled with sequels and superheroes, "Snow White and the Huntsman" is both refreshing and original. Definitely worth a look.