Snow White and The Huntsman in Local Theaters This Weekend

Reconstructed, deconstructed and fractured fairy tales are proving fertile ground for films — and television — of late.

We've got Grimm, Once Upon a Time and, more recently, two aggressively re-invented versions of Snow White.

graced theaters in March. It was a bright fantasy, with comedic flourishes and a Bollywood-style dance sequence at the end.

Snow White and the Huntsman is something else altogether. Dark, menacing, more Lords of the Rings than Disney princess.

But will the film please audiences?

The movie review website Rotten Tomatoes is giving the film a 46% rating from critics (based on 135 reviews), but a 74% rating audience/user rating.

Critic Richard Roeper is one of the positive reviewers. He calls Snow White and the Huntsman "a vast upgrade" from Mirror Mirror. Roeper, like other critics, cites Charlize Theron's turn as the evil queen as a standout performance. Roeper admires the film's stunning visuals and its dark tone, but says it bogs down a bit in the second hour.

The Christian Science Monitor likewise notes the stunning visual effects but calls the film "long and sloggy."

The New York Daily News, however, calls SWATH (yes, that's the abbreviation!) "a solemn but mostly savvy rewrite" where Snow White is "beautifully reconceived as both majestic maiden and fierce warrior."

Whatever the reviewers say, it's safe to assume that fans of Kristen Stewart will be transfixed to find her again playing a pale, haunted heroine opposite two impossibly handsome love interests — this time Chris Hemsworth of Thor/ fame and Sam Claflin as the prince.

Balancing out all the chest-pounding action, there's also a reportedly inventive new twist on the magical kiss. That alone could be worth the price of admission — at least for those all-important teen girl viewers (well, and maybe their moms too).

Snow White and the Huntsman is showing at the Rialto Theatre of Westfield, AMC Loews Mountainside 10, Union Theaters, and AMC Aviation 12 in Linden. Find showtimes here.