I was hoping for more from this film. I'll start with the casting. Wonderful casting, except for Kristen Stewart. I don't have anything against her, but by casting Charlize Theron as the Queen, you've set the bar pretty high for beauty. I couldn't get the thought out of my head, "Someone thought she is fairer than Theron?" Otherwise, great casting. This is Chris Hemsworth's year! The dwarfs were good and funny.

But the movie belonged to Charlize Theron. She oozed evil and chewed up every scene. Which leads me to another problem I had with the film. When you have a great villian, you have to have an hero to match. Hopkins as Lecter had Foster as Starling. Ledger as Joker had Bale as Batman. Stewart's acting and presence is no match for Theron. Maybe if Hemsworth led the charge against the Queen, it would have been better, but I was disappointed when Stewart won. Also, Stewart was so wooden in this movie, she seemed to drag down the scenes she was in, so you were just waiting for more Theron, which was sorely lacking in the second half.

Okay, so it may sound like I have something against Kristen Stewart. I seriously don't. I have liked her in some things. She had a good scene when she was rallying the troops. But, overall, she just didn't suit the part, IMO, and since she was the main character in the film, it really hurt what could have been a great re-imagining of the story.

Worth seeing, but manage your expectations.