There are plenty of enjoyable moments in this movie but it doesn't quite come off. Rejecting the tongue in cheek approach of Mirror Mirror, it takes itself very seriously, and invites us to marvel at the magical mystery tour it offers, a rich visualization of deep atavistic folk-memories of such archetypal locations as The Enormous Castle and The Dark Forest. The retelling is fundamentally traditional but with a twist; here the huntsman becomes Snow White's protector, and it is his tears rather than the handsome prince's, that bring Snow White back to life. We are clearly invited to feel sorry for the Wicked Queen, who it appears has become a serial killer after some traumatic experiences at the hands of very nasty men. We might feel more convinced about this if she wasn't targeting a teenage girl as her next victim.

The incidental pleasures are great - lovely to see Kristen Stewart without dark contact lenses, she has amazing big green eyes; Charlize Theron is an awesome Wicked Queen and should have been allowed to go on the rampage rather than have to enlist the audience's sympathy; Chris Hemsworth once again shows that he can act with sensitivity and conviction, here despite many layers of dirt and stubble and a fascinatingly variable Scottish accent; and, strangely, a crew of heavyweight British national treasures (e.g. Toby Jones, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winston, Eddie Marsan, Ian McShane) have been recruited to play the seven dwarfs.

Somebody threw a lot of money at this project and it looks very beautiful. However, it seems to have been written by a committee who weren't always in touch with one another, so there are quite a few plot issues. So overall a bit silly but good in parts.