Ever since we first saw the poignantly evil queen that Charlize Theron brought to life in Snow White & the Huntsman, we have long-awaited the Winter’s War. With a star-studded cast, and a familiar landscape, the series was built up to bridge the gaps of the first film. And in terms of reconciling our qualms with Snow White & the Huntsman, The Huntsman: Winter’s War is an undeniable success. Universal Pictures and the talented team behind the film have created a beautiful fantasy that we’re lucky to enjoy. However, that doesn’t mean that you’ll be entirely satisfied when you walk out of the theater.

Against the juggernaut of a Disney remake Jungle Book, The Huntsman: Winter’s War was released last weekend and found it hard to compete. But it wasn’t for lack of trying or for lack of success. In our humble opinion, its less-than-impressive turnout and unnecessarily critical reviews were largely due to the errors of its predecessor and confusion around the film. Aside from the largely misleading trailers and promotional material, that would lead you to believe that this film is an all-out war between queen Ravenna (played by Charlize Theron) and her frosty ice queen of a sister Freya (played by Emily Blunt), this movie plays in new territory as a chimeric combination of prequel and sequel, that is obviously not to everyone’s taste. In fact, if you loved Snow White & the Huntsman you may not find yourself very thrilled with this film at all… luckily for us, we were already on the fence, and we found that this film made up for the mistakes of the series’ past.

Photo Courtesy of Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

We love seeing Charlize Theron as a regal badass, who takes no prisoners and show no fear, so when she reprised her role as the Evil Queen, Ravenna, we were undoubtedly excited for what this film had in store. And aside from learning a bit more about Ravenna and her conquests, we had the opportunity to grasp the true depth of her character with the added perspective of Freya—whose transition from loving sister to cold-hearted bitch is far more touching than you’d think. Played by Emily Blunt, Freya represents the royal-blooded, avant-garde persona that we envision Blunt to be. And from start to finish, these two sisters put you in the middle of a lethal game of chess.

Photo Courtesy of Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Enter the huntsmen. In Snow White & the Huntsman we lacked an important understanding of who the huntsman (played by Chris Hemsworth) was supposed to be. How did he come to work for Ravenna? This film reconciles that story. And notice we said ‘Enter the huntsmen’… yeah, that’s right, we have a whole army this time. Even though we hated the brooding nature of Hemworth’s huntsman of films past, The Huntsman: Winter’s War gives us a lovable huntsman and (SPOILER!) huntswoman to root for in this film. Hemsworth wins over our hearts and our humor with his cheeky personality, and series newcomer Sara (played by Jessica Chastain) adds a lot of emotional depth.

Photo Courtesy of Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

The best part of the film? Aside from having our favorite faces from all around Hollywood, this film excels in its story-telling and the fantasy that they create. From the fashion all the way down to the gilded creatures lurking behind each turn, they manifest a world uniquely its own and fill it with characters we’re thrilled to meet.

The downsides? You really don’t know what you’re in for when you step foot into this film. The poor branding and misleading advertisements leave you a little out of the loop. And in spite of its famous cast, the voice of the narrator seems like an odd fit. Perhaps it would have been better to use Ravenna or another character to tell the story’s past, but either way it’s an oversight in the long-run.

With regards to the harsh reviews of our colleagues, questioning the film’s originality and characters created in this series, we’d like to remind everyone that it is based on fairy tales as old as time. So if you’re expecting entirely new storylines, you’re not likely to find it here. But what you are certain to find is a beautiful landscape to get lost in, top-notch acting, and a cast that’s brimming with every actor you’d hope to find in your dreams.