In theatres: Snow White and the Huntsman

This year the well-known tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has been very popular, with two major Hollywood releases, both featuring A-list actors. The first was Mirror, Mirror, which was geared towards the family demo and starred Julia Roberts as the sarcastic and wickedly mad Queen/Stepmother, and it was directed by the masterful Tarsem Singh (check out his first film The Cell, it's a real mind-buster). And hitting theatres today is the newest version of this classic fairy tale, called Snow White and the Huntsman. But don't be fooled by the name — this is not your average kids' story, even though it seems to follow the path of Snow White quite accurately. This one's for grown-ups only.
 
Going into this film, there were a few things that made me a bit skeptical: One, I’m not the biggest fan of actress Charlize Theron, who plays the surprisingly perfect, evil-to-the core, Queen/Stepmother. Secondly, the “hunky” Chris Hemsworth, who plays the rugged and often-times drunk Huntsman, is not my cup of tea in the looks department. And finally, Kristen Stewart, who plays the not-so-snowy, but rather dark-as-night princess, just seems to be painfully awkward in each of her roles.
 
Besides the unexpectedly enjoyable performances, the other thing that this movie has going for it is how amazing it looks — the special effects are both inviting and repulsing throughout the film. The filmmaking is dark, magical and turns a beloved Disney animated flick in to an adult-level, worthwhile film.
 
As you may have picked up by now, from time to time I'm going to step away from my recommended family flicks and suggest a date night or even a moms/dads-night-out flick. And my pick this week is the action-packed, visually stunning, completely captivating tale of Snow White and the Huntsman, and let me emphasize again this version is definitely for the grown-ups in the house.