Two Movie Comments (SWH & S)

Over the last few days, I've taken a couple of short breaks from my writing to watch two movies. One of the films turned out to be excellent, the other less than so-so. Of course, keep in mind that these are only my opinions—and you may disagree.

Let's start off with the one I didn't care for, Snow White and the Huntsman (2012).

When I picked up this movie, I had no preconceived notions, having only seen the trailers. I was looking forward to watching it, to a pleasant evening with some homemade popcorn.

Sadly, that wasn't the case . . . and I watched both the extended and the theatrical versions.

I'm not sure what went wrong with the movie. The talent was there, but the actors were either overacting or underacting. Even with fairy tales, you have to be drawn into the story. That didn't happen here. The storyline was unbelievable and the writing just so-so. In other words, it was boring.

Plot

This was a variation on the Snow White fairy tale, a bad variation.

I give the film 1.5 stars out of 5.


Now on to my comments regarding the second movie I watched. It was Shooter (2007). Now this film has been out for a little while, but I've just gotten around to viewing it.

First, let me acknowledge that I haven't read the book the movie is based on. Hence, I had no preconceived notions of what to expect, no mental comparisons between the book and the movie.

This film grabbed me from the very beginning. It's an action-packed and fast-paced thriller. It never lets up. I found the acting to be superb, the principal hero (Mark Wahlberg) and principal villain (Danny Glover) were excellent, as were all the actors.

Though I'm not given to conspiracy theories, this movie carries it off nicely. The storyline is totally believable, especially given what's going on in the world today—where betrayal by those you believe in seems common.

The movie is violent, not for the young or squeamish. It's all about the chase. Yes, in some ways, this is a chase movie. But it's also so much more than that.

Plot

A preeminent sniper is betrayed, a hunter becoming the hunted.

I give the film 5 stars out of 5.