SHOULD I TAKE THE KIDS? The Huntsman: Winter’s War
Editor’s Note: The following movie review is a new type of feature article for us. On occasion we will be publishing reviews of this type, which are meant to go beyond MPAA ratings and be an additional resource for parents who are deciding whether or not a current release is an appropriate one for their kids to see.
THE DETAILS:
Rated PG-13
Running Time: 114 minutes
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
In Theaters: April 22, 2016
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt
Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
THE PLOT:
Loving only power, Ravenna, the Evil Queen, betrays her sister Freya. Freya retreats to the Northern kingdoms and begins a quest to raise an army known as the Huntsmen to both protect herself and ultimately address her sister’s betrayal. Freya reigns as a true ice queen: without mercy. Betrayed by love, she forbids her Huntsmen from ever falling under its spell. However her two best defy this rule and her justice is merciless. But will the Huntsmen survive? And if they do, will they unite with Freya against Ravenna to save the kingdom from her terrible power?
CONTENT:
This film earns a PG-13 rating for violence both in its battle scenes against humans and magic creatures as well as scenes with violent actions ranging from infanticide to regicide. Battle scenes are loud, realistic, and graphic. The children of this world find themselves in perilous situations, often at the hands of adults. In some instances adults directly threaten the lives of children. Blood is often portrayed in the movie. There are several scenes with strong sexual innuendos and additional sexual interactions between the two main characters. While one scene shows passionate kissing, another goes further having Eric remove Sara’s shirt with breast showing. Overall, this movie is set in a dismal world where a great many are suffering and such suffering is highlighted often.
SHOULD I TAKE THE KIDS:
PROBABLY NOT: 8 and under
Several scenes specifically focus on Freya’s Huntsmen tearing children from their parents to be trained as child soldiers. Although in Freya’s mind she is saving the children from life’s cruelty by extinguishing their ability to love anyone, these children experience violence at the hands of adults and younger viewers may find this deeply upsetting. Also, mild language, general violence, and sexual content would be inappropriate for this group.
MAYBE: 14 and under
The violence and sexual content may not be appropriate for younger teens. This movie offers several heavy concepts, including a pre-marital affair ending in pregnancy, and infanticide which may be disturbing to some viewers. There is also some mild language including “shite”.
YES: 15 and up
Older teens will likely be able to contextualize the actions of characters better than younger viewers. The bloodshed and violence throughout the movie is less likely to affect them. Older viewers will additionally appreciate the complicated themes of perception’s power, betrayal, and forgiveness.
Photo: Universal Studios
REVIEW:
This movie transports audiences back into a fantastic realm where magic is real and often used to harm rather than help. In fact, with the exception of the brief foray back to the Sanctuary where magical creatures work together to enhance nature’s abundant beauty, most magic in this film is used to make this world’s people miserable.
The first half of this movie focuses on establishing the characters and the world. It isn’t until the second half when the heroes face epic odds, that their quest to recover the powerful mirror emerges. The decent script paired with a solid cast make this movie an enjoyable evening out. The costumes and special effects can both be breathtaking and leave the viewer marveling at their intricacies. Echoes of Snow White and the Huntsman appear throughout the movie, but The Huntsman: Winter’s War surpasses the previous film by fully realizing its fantasy and action sequence potential. This movie exists as Frozen on darkness-inducing steroids: there’s an evil ice queen who retreats to an ice castle. She protects herself with a deadly army and doesn’t realize the power of real love until it’s too late. However, unlike a Disney film, few characters realize a happy ending.
Winter’s War is an interesting meditation on perception and how it shapes an individual’s reality; it also explores the power of love, the price of betrayal, and the complicated relationships among family. The cinematography reflects these dark themes, and though it is beautiful, it is also gloomy. In fact, most of the movie is devoid of bright color, reflecting Freya’s hardened heart. Audiences immediately notice the lush green of the sanctuary or blood’s ruby red portrayal because this world lacks vibrancy; so many are merely focused on survival that everything else simply falls by the wayside. From the Huntsmen, who are stolen as children and raised believing Freya’s truth that “Love is a lie; Do not love”, to the forest dwarves who rob passersby for survival, few have the time to appreciate beauty’s existence in such a world.
Despite this modern fairytale’s dark nature, there are strong moments of kindness and levity in the film. The heroes find moments to honor what they believe to be most important, and perhaps this is the most important lesson of all. As the climax builds, the audience watches the heroes fight nearly insurmountable odds; Eric and Sara must call on all their resourcefulness, bravery, cunning, and luck. The epic quest of good versus evil comes at a high price; the question is are the few good characters willing to pay the price to create a world they likely won’t enjoy? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out.
OVERALL:
This fairy tale honors the dark, original fairy tales that pit unlikely heroes against a looming evil in a beautifully crafted, believable world.
Grade: B
COMPANION FILMS (for viewing with the kids at home):
No better time to introduce your children to some classic fantasy questing films including Willow (1988), Legend (1985), or more recent films such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Families may also like classic fairy tales with a twist including Disney’s recent Maleficent (2014), or Stardust (2007).
After surviving ten years as a high school English teacher, Kathryn opted to create imaginary worlds and spend her days hunting for ladybugs with her daughter. She has written for ChildGood and Babies and Breastfeeding magazines as well as various sites around the web.
