As happens often enough in Hollywoodland, one studio gets a whiff of what another is making, and then greenlights their own. Well they are going at this battle furiously, as both released their trailers this week. In one corner, Rupert Sanders’ Snow White and the Huntsman stars Kristen “Bella” Stewart, Charlize “Monster” Theron and Chris “Thor” Hemsworth; in the other corner, Tarsem Singh’s Mirror, Mirror star’s Lilly “Priest’s Daughter” Collins, Julia “America’s Sweetheart” Roberts, and Armie “Winklevoss” Hammer. The former is going for CGI-gothic ‘Twilight-ish’ tepidness. The latter is going for self-aware slapstick goofery. So in 2012 you get to decide what flavour of the tale would fit, you know like a glass slipper…er…whatever.
Despite my utter lack of interest in Immortals folks came out in droves, thus my money is on Tarsem for Box Office Victory (The ‘DreamWorks’ tone will trump the Twihard/Bella factor.)
Both Trailers are tucked under the seat.
All the pop culture references in Tarsem’s version turned me off instantly. But I think the same kids that liked that god awful Shrek series will eat it up. Clearly his version was made for kids. While the other seems to be directed towards the teenage crowd.
I’ll pass on both.
But I’m still intrigued to see what Jeremy Renners Hansel and Gretel witch hunters movie will look like. I believe they said their going for an R rating.
I’m not sure either of them look actually GOOD, but geez, I was hoping for something more interesting from the Tarsem one. I fall fully on the side of loving The Fall (though I haven’t seen any of his other films, and Immortals looks like too much of a 300 clone to really interest me), but this looks absolutely terrible. Excruciating just to watch the trailer! Snow White and the Huntsman has elements that intrigue me, but I’m just afraid, like you say, that it’ll go off into Twilight-land – much like Catherine Hardwicke’s Red Riding Hood did.
Yea, they are both seemingly aiming at ‘different’ types of populist sludge.
My God those both look awful for totally different reasons.
The Kristen Stewart’s version looks visually stunning.
I wouldn’t go that far. A couple of the visuals look great like the ‘bathing in milk’, but most of it looks pretty bland and glossy to me.
C’mon guys. The Tarsem one is clearly a kids film and as such is not that bad. At least it has Dwarves! Roberts, Hammer and Lane look charming and fun… again, for a kids film. Had me smiling a bit. I don’t see the problem with it. It doesn’t look any worse than other children’s fantasy films that come out over the past several years.
As for that first one, if it stay on the “Night Watch” end of the spectrum, could be cool. If it goes “Twilight,” then holy flaming shit balls.
BTW – Does Kristin Stewart just have one expression?
Andrew: No.
She is pretty damn good in both PANIC ROOM and INTO THE WILD.
But who, really, is going to give a fuck about trying hard in the TWILIGHT franchise…people are going regardless of actors, directors, or much else.
Andrew, I wanted to stab Julia Roberts within five seconds of her in that trailer. I didn’t mind the other parts so much – Lilly Collins leading bandits could be pretty fun – but if the ratio of time Roberts gets in the trailer is accurate to the film, it’ll be freaking painful, kids movie or not.
And yeah, Kristen Stewart is quite good in indie stuff. I thought she was good in The Runaways, too (and her commentary with Dakota Fanning and Joan Jett – don’t ask me why I was listening to that – shows she has a lot of intelligence and knowledge about acting, too, when she cares enough to use it).
I’m with Jandy – the Tarsem one looks pretty damned excruciating. Though Armie Hammer as the Prince is about as fitting a casting choice as there is. But just thinking about the many possible scenes of Roberts hamming it up and acting all “witchy” with poor Nathan Lane sends me into a wretched state of mind.
Thought I’d jump in here and join Andrew on Tarsem’s side of the fence
While that one does not look good either – the trailer is its own special type of silly – it at least has an interesting, colorful visual style. If nothing else Tarsem can leave an impression visually – Immortals is not very good but does have bold visuals – so it will deliver that for me. The Snow White and the Huntsman just looks bland and boring but still somehow silly, aiming for the Twilight crowd but trying to appear all “Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood” with it. And the trailer is a blatant rip-off of Inception, even down to the music.
Let’s put up our shields in defence, Andrew
P.S. Although I do agree with Kurt that Stewart is good in other things including the mentioned Panic Room and Into the Wild, but also The Runaways.
I’ll personally defend Stewart’s work in Adventureland – there, she was quite solid.
Good call, Marc! Big fan of that movie (which is superior to Superbad in pretty much every way) and Stewart is really good in it. She gets a bad rep because of Twilight.
Yep, Stewart was quite good in Adventureland or at the very least, her limitations fit well with the character. Many people complain about her hair twirling, but it fits perfectly with that particular character.