Put on your armor and take up your swords, fairy tale fans! "Snow White and the Huntsman" hits theaters today bringing you an edgy adaptation of the classic enchanting story.
In the film, Kristen Stewart plays the title character who gears up for battle against the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron). With the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) and her childhood love William (Sam Claflin) at her side, she attempts to reclaim the kingdom that is rightfully hers.
For those of you who haven't already preordered tickets, here are five reasons to see "Snow White and the Huntsman."
Because It Turns A Classic Into An Epic
As kids, everyone remembers watching "The Lion King" or "Aladdin" while lying on bed sheets that display the characters' faces. The stories from our youth become so magical we believe wishing upon a star will make all of our dreams come true. As we grow older we become a little more realistic, but that magic never truly goes away. This adaptation grasps some of that mystical charm and turns it into an epic adventure. Sure it's more terrifying than what we're used to, but we grew up, and so did this princess.
Because Charlize Theron Is Incredible
Theron reminded us just how good of an actress she is by taking on the role of Queen Ravenna. She simultaneously made us want to shove a sword into her heart and give her a big hug as we empathized with her character's backstory. Ravenna's mother put a spell on her so that when she consumed the souls of beautiful girls, she remained young. Her mother taught her that beauty was everything and if you don't retain your youthful appearance, men will toss you to the side as if you were nothing. Certain shots of Theron's pained facial expression or a pool of tears gathering in her crazed eyes helped us sympathize with her character—despite the fact that she was killing the female population and screaming until we were sure her head would explode.
Because The Dwarves Add A Little Joy
Let us be clear, this is not "Mirror, Mirror." This is a dark tale with a slim chance of light at the end of the tunnel. The dwarves don't whistle while they work and at one point they even debate killing Snow and the Huntsman saying, "Skewer him, leave her to rot!" But with actors like Nick Frost, Ian McShane, Toby Jones and Bob Hoskins taking on the roles, we couldn't help but smile at some of their facial expressions—especially when one of them asked Snow for a dance. It was a scene that warmed the (mostly) cold movie.
Because The Visuals Are Stunning
From King Magnus' castle to the Dark Forest to the land of the fairies, the sets and special effects left audiences breathless. But the best realm in the film was the fairyland. The adorable woodland creatures scurried about in a scene reminiscent of the 1937 Disney-animated classic. Mushrooms opened their eyes and birds carried naked sprites who scuttled along the trees to get a closer look at the princess. Trees waved in the breeze and bright, colorful flowers blossomed on the ground. And waiting for Snow across a pond was a great, white deer with massive antlers. A round of applause goes to the art director.
Because Two Key Scenes Make The Adaptation Worth It
In order to avoid giving anything away, we're going to be vague. The first scene that made us want to give the screenwriters a high five was when the evil witch presents Snow with the poisonous apple. It was the perfect change to what we were expecting and shocked us with delight. The second was during the kiss of true love that brings Snow out of her deep slumber. The underlying love story was one of loyalty, friendship and hope that's shown through one simple, but story-changing peck.
Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m.
Let us know why you're seeing "Snow White" this weekend in the comments and on Twitter!
