They tend to be underappreciated, but they shouldnt be.
Each can be critically important in casting a spell over the audience.
But they cant doallof the work.
Credit: Giles Keyte
But theres nothing dramatically interesting or original beneath all of the spectacle.
Its the movie equivalent of a cake thats all frosting.
Emily Blunt matches her Freudian frostiness icicle-for-icicle as her scorned sister and rival, Freya.
Their love for one another so offends Freya that she separates them.
(If shes unlucky in love, everyone else will be too.)
But years later, they reunite while looking for the fables enchanted mirror.
Winters Warwas directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, the man behind Snow White and the Huntsmans Oscar-nominated special effects.
And even if you didnt know that, you could have guessed it.
Because thats exactly how he approaches the movie, doubling down on style over substance.
(Did I mention the movie looks spectacular?)
But there also needs to be more to them than just technical-category magic.
It needs to touch your heart, not just your retinas.
There needs to be urgency, shape, and emotional investment.
In a word, a script.
Otherwise, its just a two-hourVoguefashion shoot highlighted by Emily Blunt riding bareback on a polar bear.C+
