Charlize Theron and Emily Blunt Battle Chris Hemsworth In ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’

Dyan James

Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron are back in “The Huntsman: Winter’s War” returning as Eric the Huntsman and Ravenna, roles they originated in 2012’s “Snow White and the Huntsman.” This is the second installment in the “Snow White” franchise and a sequel to “Snow White and the Huntsman” as well as Cedric Nicolas-Troyan’s first turn as director after having supervised visual effects in the original film.

“The Huntsman: Winter’s War” continues the story that started with Ice Queen Freya (Emily Blunt) who had long ago left the kingdom for a remote, frozen-over land. It was there she assembled a deadly army, the huntsmen, whose job it was to head up a loveless world.

In this latest chapter, after learning of her sister Ravenna’s death, Freya sends her huntsmen to reclaim the Magic Mirror. Freya then resurrects Ravenna and the two wicked sisters engage in a war against the kingdom with the likes of evil no one has ever seen.

The task of saving the kingdom from the depths of Freya and Ravenna’s destruction falls on the shoulders of Huntsman Eric and warrior Sara (Jessica Chastain) who were once soldiers in Freya’s army until they defied her by falling in love. (When their love for each other was discovered, Eric was banished from the army and made to believe Sara was dead.) Viewers are left with the questions of will they find their way back to each other and together restore peace in the kingdom?

Best known for his role as Thor in the movie of the same name, Hemsworth appreciates this movie’s uniqueness in that he is only one of a few men in a film full of very strong, “bad ass” women – highly atypical in most action movies.

“That was a thing I thought was tonally great about this film – the strength of the leading women and their performances,” he told Glamour Magazine. “The balance has been tipped for a long time in the men’s direction – there are often seven or eight male superheroes compared to just one woman in a film and this is the opposite. It’s exciting to be part of something like that. I don’t think we’ve seen it to this level before.”

“The Huntsman: Winter’s War” opens nationwide April 22.