Astonishingly beautiful and breathtaking in its brutal imagery, thrilling and frightening in equal measure, yet as bereft of satisfying substance as a poisoned apple. Director Rupert Sanders' revisionist take on the classic Brothers Grimm fable upends expectations of traditional gender roles while simultaneously embracing what a fairy tale should be. It's dark and dangerous, vicious and violent. And yet the performances — notably from Kristen Stewart as the title character — don't always live up to the film's visionary promise. First, there's the problem of casting anyone who's supposed to be fairer than Charlize Theron as the evil queen. But beyond Stewart's distractingly inconsistent British accent, she simply lacks the presence to serve as a convincing warrior princess. Theron, meanwhile, ...