When “Snow White and the Huntsman” came out in 2012, it was at the height of the overly-saturated CGI fantasy world trend. With a generic look and story the film underperformed domestically and the scandal that erupted between director Rupert Sanders and lead actress Kristen Stewart appeared to put the nails in any sequel coffin.
But I”m so glad it didn”t. Charlize Theron”s Evil Queen in “Snow White” was one of the most deliciously over-the-top villains in recent memory. By the final battle, you really wanted her to eat Snow White”s heart and rule the world with a diamond-encrusted iron fist. Hollywood must have thought so too, because she”s back for “The Huntsman: Winter's War” along with her little sister Freya (Emily Blunt). Together the two of them will face off against Freya”s former protege, The Warrior (Jessica Chastain).
Oh yeah, Chris Hemsworth is there too. And I can”t believe I”m saying this, but who cares? LOOK AT THESE FABULOUS LADIES! If anything, the franchise could've shaved Hemsworth's character down to a cameo and been fridged in a lampshade of the trope, giving The Warrior a reason to fight.
Alas, according to the official plot synopsis that doesn”t appear to be the case:
Long before the evil Queen Ravenna (Theron) was thought vanquished by Snow White”s blade, she watched silently as her sister, Freya (Blunt), suffered a heartbreaking betrayal and fled their kingdom. With Freya”s ability to freeze any enemy, the young ice queen has spent decades in a remote wintry palace raising a legion of deadly huntsmen-including Eric (Hemsworth) and warrior Sara (Chastain)-only to find that her prized two defied her one demand: Forever harden your hearts to love.
When Freya learns of her sister”s demise, she summons her remaining soldiers to bring the Magic Mirror home to the only sorceress left who can harness its power. But once she discovers Ravenna can be resurrected from its golden depths, the wicked sisters threaten this enchanted land with twice the darkest force it”s ever seen. Now, their amassing army shall prove undefeatable…unless the banished huntsmen who broke their queen”s cardinal rule can fight their way back to one another.
If you're curious about the song used in the trailer, it's “Castle” by Halsey
“The Huntsman: Winter's War” arrives in theaters in April 2016.