Freya (Emily Blunt) is betrayed and loses her lover and her only child. Bitter with grief and anger she leaves her sister Ravenna’s (Charlize Theron) kingdom and retreats to the North where she reigns over her own icy kingdom.
She decides that, if she can’t raise a child, she will raise an army of huntsmen instead, by plundering villages and taking the children to train in her army.
The only set law in Freya’s dominion is that no one is allowed to love, for it is a deceitful lie.
Spreading fear throughout the nation with her power to turn everything into ice, she comes to be the most feared queen alive.
Her two best huntsmen Eric (Chris Hemsworth) and Sara (Jessica Chastain) fall in love and secretly get married. When they decide to plot their escape they are caught, but Eric manages to escape Freya’s kingdom.
This part of the film takes place before Eric meets Snow White in the previous film, Snow White and the Huntsman, where together they defeat Ravenna.
The film continues seven years later and after Ravenna’s death, when Eric is sent to retrieve the evil mirror that used to belong to Ravenna.
In his journey, he meets up with old friends and someone who he thought he’d never see again.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War is very similar to its predecessor. Even though critics describe both the films as shapeless and unimaginative, I rather enjoyed the dark fantasy storyline. I do admit, however, that the film lacked the sense of depth that I was longing for.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War gets a rating of 6 / 10. It lacked depth and imagination, but the casting was brilliant and the dark fantasy feel to the story keeps you riveted to the end.
*The Huntsman: Winter’s War is rated PG-13 and has scenes of violence.
