--- title: "Snow White and the Huntsman: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/snow-white-and-the-huntsman/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/snow-white-and-the-huntsman" critics_score: 51 critics_reviews: 22 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Snow White and the Huntsman (2012): what the critics said Critics' score 51 from 22 reviews: 5 positive, 10 mixed, 7 negative. The consensus is mixed, leaning towards disappointment, with praise concentrated on the visual world and Charlize Theron’s Ravenna. The reviews repeatedly single out the production and costume design, haunted landscapes and effects, even when the storytelling fails to engage them. Theron draws the most consistent approval for giving the queen menace, sadness and complexity. Several critics also welcome the dwarves’ warmth and humour amid the film’s prevailing seriousness. The recurring complaints concern a sluggish middle, thin romance and too many underdeveloped characters. Critics divide over Kristen Stewart’s casting and whether the retelling follows through on its feminist ambitions; some also find that Ravenna loses her early complexity. The spread is wide: Eye for Film finds the fantasy gripping and praises the dwarves’ performances, while Collider sees shallow visuals and sloppy storytelling, though it still credits Theron with bringing pain to the queen. ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 2012. Sharkey finds the film a visually dazzling, inventive fairy-tale revision, though its romance feels unconvincing. She especially praises Charlize Theron’s chilling portrayal of Queen Ravenna and the film’s striking visual design. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-jun-01-la-et-snow-white-20120601-story.html) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2018. Edelstein finds the film’s revisionist, feminist tone compelling despite its uneven direction. He praises Charlize Theron’s commanding performance and striking presence as Queen Ravenna. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2012/05/movie-review-snow-white-and-the-huntsman.html) ## Screen Daily — Mark Adams Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2012. The review's verdict is unavailable in the accessible page. No specific element of praise or complaint is visible. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/-snow-white-and-the-huntsman/5042832.article) ## Radio Times — Stella Papamichael Rating 3/5. Papamichael finds Kristen Stewart well cast but says Charlize Theron makes the deeper impact. She praises the queen’s tragic complexity while criticizing the overplayed flashbacks and underdeveloped love triangle. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-t2xld0/snow-white-and-the-huntsman/) ## Total Film — Joshua Winning Rating 3/5. 28 May 2012. Winning finds the film visually striking but let down by a limited story and underdeveloped supporting characters. He singles out the haunted landscapes and the dwarves’ warmth and humour as highlights. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 2/4. 30 May 2012. Gonzalez finds the film visually polished but weakened by banal, programmatic storytelling and an uncommitted feminist vision. He praises Charlize Theron’s campy, bored menace as the film’s most commanding performance. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/snow-white-and-the-huntsman/) ## The AV Club — Tasha Robinson Rating C-. 31 May 2012. Robinson finds the film increasingly dull and generic, despite an intriguing beginning. She praises Charlize Theron’s initially nuanced, character-driven portrayal of the queen, but says the story abandons that complexity for familiar fantasy tropes. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-1798172982) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2012. McCarthy finds the film visually arresting and imaginatively designed, but says its long middle section drags and its characters remain underdeveloped. He especially praises the rich production and costume design, along with the striking contrast between Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/snow-white-huntsman-film-review-331207/) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 27 March 2011. The critic finds the film visually impressive but let down by weak storytelling and too many characters. Charlize Theron’s chilling performance as Ravenna is singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/snow-white-huntsman-review/) ## Evening Standard — The Standard Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 2012. The critic finds the film overlong and underwritten, with a thin emotional impact. Its striking visuals are singled out for praise, while the crowded cast is criticized for having little to do. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-review-7811102.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2012. Bradshaw finds the film tangled and overblown, with the same basic problem as its recent counterpart. He praises Charlize Theron’s initially steely coldness but complains that she soon becomes a panto villainess. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/may/31/snow-white-and-huntsman-review) ## IndieWire — Sophia Savage Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2012. The critic calls the film muddled and ultimately unsuccessful as a feminist retelling. She singles out Kristen Stewart’s miscasting and the film’s failure to make Snow White a believable leader, while noting Chris Hemsworth brings some soul to the proceedings. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-round-up-snow-white-and-the-huntsman-wants-to-be-everything-its-not-181355/) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 1/5. 21 July 2011. Huddleston’s one-star rating indicates a strongly negative verdict. The available description frames the film as another Hollywood attempt to modernize classic fairy tales, but the review text is unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/snow-white-and-the-huntsman) ## Eye for Film — Merlin Harries Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2012. The critic finds the film gripping and exhilarating, praising its epic fantasy atmosphere and visual effects. The performances of the dwarfs, especially Johnny Harris as Quert, also stand out for praise. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-film-review-by-merlin-harries) ## HeyUGuys — Ben Mortimer Rating 4/5. 27 May 2012. The critic finds the film very good and well worth watching, despite its overly serious tone and occasional lulls. They praise its richly imagined world and production design, along with Kristen Stewart’s effective performance. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-review/) ## NME — Owen Nicholls Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 2012. The critic finds the film mostly solid, though it lags in the middle and Kristen Stewart falls short in the hero scenes. They praise its dark, magical take on the Grimm tale and Charlize Theron’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/blogs/the-movies-blog/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-film-review-769199) ## Den of Geek — Louisa Mellor Rating 3/5. 27 May 2012. Mellor finds the film visually impressive but ultimately unbalanced and unsatisfying. She particularly praises Charlize Theron’s committed performance and the film’s striking effects and world-building. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-review-2/) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Rating 3/5. 27 May 2012. Papamichael finds the film entertaining but narratively weak, with Charlize Theron outshining the other leads. She praises Rupert Sanders’s composed, ethereal visuals and spectacle, while criticizing the thin romantic tension and lack of meaningful revelations. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a383745/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-review-charlize-theron-outshines-co-stars/) ## Paste — Michael Burgin Rating 5.3. 6 June 2012. Burgin finds the film poorly told, with uneven pacing and bland dialogue undermining its striking images. He praises Charlize Theron’s committed performance and Chris Hemsworth’s swagger, while criticizing Kristen Stewart’s casting. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/snow-white-and-the-huntsman) ## /Film — Russ Fischer Rating 5/10. 2 June 2012. Fischer finds the film fractured and overstuffed, wasting its strongest ideas and characters. He praises Charlize Theron’s compelling Ravenna, whose power and complexity make her the most captivating presence. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/521461/snow-white-huntsman-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2012. The critic finds the film a beautiful but ultimately misdirected mess. They praise Charlize Theron’s flamboyant performance while faulting the thin characterization and story. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/snow-white-and-huntsman-review-theron-chews-all-scenery-except-mirror-wall-42256/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating D-. 31 May 2012. Goldberg gives the film a harsh verdict, criticizing its shallow visuals and sloppy storytelling. He credits Charlize Theron with bringing sadness and pain to Ravenna, but finds the heroine and her journey dull. [Read the review](https://collider.com/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/snow-white-and-the-huntsman.md