The Huntsman: Winter's War

Name: The Huntsman: Winter's War
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Released: April 22, 2016
Duration: 114 min
Rating: 35
Cast: Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain

2016

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 41 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 201 Ratings

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5.2	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 201 Ratings

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The Huntsman: Winter's War

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: April 22, 2016 | PG-13

Starring: Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain

Summary: Long before the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) was thought vanquished by Snow White’s blade, she watched silently as her sister, Freya (Emily 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 ofLong before the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) was thought vanquished by Snow White’s blade, she watched silently as her sister, Freya (Emily 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 (Chris Hemsworth) and warrior Sara (Jessica 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. [Universal Pictures]… Expand

Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 114 min

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Critic Reviews

Steven Rea

Apr 22, 2016

Theron proves the master of operatic hissy fits, Blunt lets the pain show beneath the glacial cool, Chastain brings her usual Juilliard-schooled commitment to the occasion, and Hemsworth is Hemsworthian, if oft-times incomprehensible, delivering his lines in a gorse-y whorl of vowels and consonants. Read full review

The Film Stage Brian Roan

Apr 21, 2016

In spite of all of its myriad shortfalls, this film succeeds as well as it does because it does not shy away from this truth, and because it gives us a romances that feel so true between people we would like to see succeed. Read full review

Katie Walsh

Apr 21, 2016

Every time Charlize Theron is on screen, the movie gets crazy campy, and therefore at least somewhat interesting. Read full review

Time Out London Cath Clarke

Apr 4, 2016

All told, ‘Winter’s War’ is not the fairest sequel, but it’s not so terrible that it deserves to be taken out to the forest and finished off. Read full review

Kimberley Jones

Apr 20, 2016

The actors are all game, but the job’s beneath them – Hemsworth, a pro, and a real champ at faking enthusiasm for this dud; Theron, still doing camp but this time with no tempering complexity or empathy; Blunt, stuck playing a frost-bitten Mommie Dearest. Read full review

IndieWire Kate Erbland

Apr 19, 2016

The film's narrative is both plodding and predictable, and after the third or fourth battle sequence that leans so heavily on loud, thudding noises and swirling leather topcoats that it's impossible to see who is actually hitting who (and, moreover, why), audiences may be in danger of remembering just which "reimagined" fairy tale they're watching on screen. Read full review

A.O. Scott

Apr 21, 2016

Its badness is not extreme, but exemplary: It’s everything wrong with Hollywood today stuffed into a little less than two hours. Read full review

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User Reviews

akela

Apr 30, 2016

I really enjoyed watching "The Huntsman: Winter's War". I really don't know why everyone is giving it a bunch of crap! The plot line was very creative and had some cool plot twists, and the casting was absolutely PERFECT! It not only tied up a few loose ends from the first movie, it gave aI really enjoyed watching "The Huntsman: Winter's War". I really don't know why everyone is giving it a bunch of crap! The plot line was very creative and had some cool plot twists, and the casting was absolutely PERFECT! It not only tied up a few loose ends from the first movie, it gave a lot of the previous characters backgrounds and added more to their stories! I HIGHLY recommend this movie.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

Ralfbergs

Feb 7, 2017

Between 6 and 7 for me. Decided to go with 7 as this was a rare movie where I actually didn't expect a twist - that Sara will show up alive after those years. Of course if you think about it, it was quite obvious (especially as she was in more scenes in the trailer if I think about it), butBetween 6 and 7 for me. Decided to go with 7 as this was a rare movie where I actually didn't expect a twist - that Sara will show up alive after those years. Of course if you think about it, it was quite obvious (especially as she was in more scenes in the trailer if I think about it), but usually in movies they don't make it believable if someone dies and later comes back (you usually feel that it is fake, here it wasn't like that). Anyway, besides that, the visuals were also quite nice, I liked the comedians who played the roles of little people (I do not understand, however, why did they not give those jobs to actual people or just make them actual size as there was no real need for them to be little people, but just that end scene where they snuck in pretending to be kids-haven't seen the first movie though, if that changes anything). I did find it dumb though that Ice Queen decided to make a movie of kids and the rule was not to love anyone bla bla bla - that was a dumb premise, plus made it obvious that Hunstman will fall in love and also it was obvious that the other Queen actually was at fault at Ice Queen's kid's death. But at least here the whole story didn't hold on that plot point so it was ok.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

smiyamot

Sep 21, 2016

This movie is a before and after bookend to the Snow White movie released earlier. We see the evil queen has a sister, and how the younger sister trained the Huntsman. In the after, we see what happened to Snow White after she defeated the evil queen. Surprise, the Huntsman was in love inThis movie is a before and after bookend to the Snow White movie released earlier. We see the evil queen has a sister, and how the younger sister trained the Huntsman. In the after, we see what happened to Snow White after she defeated the evil queen. Surprise, the Huntsman was in love in the before, which explains why he was a drunkard in the Snow White movie. Not a great movie, but a pleasant action, love, fight evil, kinda story.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Pamuditha007

Aug 7, 2016

Below average movie ... the first movie in the series, Snow White and the Huntsman was, in my opinion, the better movie ... anyhow the first thing that came to my mind when watching this is ...what is Thor doing in Ice Queen's palace :P haha

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

MrMovieBuff

Apr 22, 2016

'The Huntsman: Winter's War' is a sequel...or a prequel...or a spin-off to 'Snow White and the Huntsman' (2012), a film that was generally seen as "Okay" by a lot of movie-goers, and somehow, the studio thought it was popular enough to get a sequel...or a prequel...or a spin-off. I honestly'The Huntsman: Winter's War' is a sequel...or a prequel...or a spin-off to 'Snow White and the Huntsman' (2012), a film that was generally seen as "Okay" by a lot of movie-goers, and somehow, the studio thought it was popular enough to get a sequel...or a prequel...or a spin-off. I honestly do not know what kind of a continuation this is supposed to be...

Charlize Theron is back as the evil Queen Ravenna, and as always, she looks stunning, her presence can sometimes up-stage her acting. We find out she has a younger sister named Freya (Emily Blunt) who, after something tragic happens to her, she becomes "The Ice Queen", and runs away in exile in order for her to cast icy spells. No, I am not explaining the plot of 'Frozen' (2013), although, it does seem like that's what this movie is trying to be. Clearly, the studio wants what Disney had with that success.

Chris Hemsworth returns as the Huntsman, and we can see from a young age, that Freya has taken a number of children and has ordered for them to work for her. He is infatuated with a woman named Sara (Jessica Chastain), who is a warrior, but little do they know that Freya, who was completely devoid of happiness in her life, has forbade love in her territory...

What is shocking (or, maybe not so shocking) about this movie was how lifeless it is, it's almost as if David Yates (director of the last four "Harry Potter" films) teamed with producer Peter Jackson (of "The Lord of the Rings") to do a live-action remake of Disney's 'Frozen' (2013), and not only did they make it darker and not include any of the musical numbers, but just took away all the fun and energy that the animated film had.

Emily Blunt, a talented actress (and if you don't believe me, watch her in 'Sicario' and tell me otherwise), is very stiff in her role of Freya, there is no dimension to her character, she is just supposed to have an evil presence. It is clear that the writers (Evan Spiliotopoulos and Craig Mazin) must have seen Disney's 2013 animated hit, and decided to use that as a template, for making the Ice Queen character sympathetic, but unlike the character Elsa, Freya lacks likeability and range. There is almost no emotional investment whatsoever.

The special effects in this film look terrific, but that is never enough to save a film's bland personality. There is also no Kristen Stewart, you'd think replacing her with Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain would make it better, but it did the complete opposite of that.

I could go on about how this film sucked the joy out of everything, but I would go on for five more paragraphs. This isn't the worst movie of 2016, just a forgettable one, if you want my advice, just go and watch 'Frozen' (2013) again, it's a better movie anyway than this bland wreck of a picture.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

Rebecca31

Apr 22, 2016

Did you not think Snow White and the Huntsman needed another movie? Well apparently it did, but wait there's more, this isn't just any sequel, it's a prequel sequel. Starring Emily Blunt and Charlize Theron, two actresses who are far better than this movie, and then we have Chris HemsworthDid you not think Snow White and the Huntsman needed another movie? Well apparently it did, but wait there's more, this isn't just any sequel, it's a prequel sequel. Starring Emily Blunt and Charlize Theron, two actresses who are far better than this movie, and then we have Chris Hemsworth and Jessica Chastain who quickly become a joke due to their horrendous accents. Honestly what holds this movie together are the dwarfs, by far the best thing in this frozen sibling rivalry mess of a movie that gave its plot twist away in the trailer. Not recommended, please don't pay to see this you'll regret it.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

Broyax

Feb 27, 2020

C'est une espèce de suite sans en être une avec cette fois comme maléfique personnage, la soeur de la reine maléfique... en nouvelle reine maléfique (toujours excellente Emily Blunt !) qui souffle ici le froid... et surtout le froid.

La donzelle en guise de "Blanche-Neige" de secours n'estC'est une espèce de suite sans en être une avec cette fois comme maléfique personnage, la soeur de la reine maléfique... en nouvelle reine maléfique (toujours excellente Emily Blunt !) qui souffle ici le froid... et surtout le froid.

La donzelle en guise de "Blanche-Neige" de secours n'est autre que la charmante Jessica Chastain et quant au blaireau, il s'agit toujours du même, à savoir Chris machintruc qui ne vaut (toujours) pas grand-chose ou rien pour ainsi dire.

On notera comme dans le précédent de gros moyens mis en oeuvre mais une réalisation en net retrait (les rares scènes d'action sont très mal filmées) et un rythme trop mollasson, résultat sans nul doute d'un scénario complètement con (et encore bien niais par dessus le marché). On s'étonnera par ailleurs de préoccupations de la diversité de quelque minorité visible décidément trop visible au pays de Blanche-Neige ! lapin compris franchement, lapin pas compris du tout !

Enfin, la somme est la fin de toutes ces parties qui composent ce film minable et aboutit à un arrêt prématuré du visionnage de cette grosse daube amerloque en bonne et dûe forme, car time is money comme on dit là-bas !… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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79	#79 Most Discussed Movie of 2016
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