Disney’s Snow White – Review

Remaking the iconic 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs animated film may have seemed like a safe bet when Disney first greenlit the project, but it looks like the studio has bitten off more (of the poison apple) than it can chew. While the studio’s current crop of live-action revamps of animated classics, which includes 2017’s Beauty and the Beast, 2019’s The Lion King and Aladdin have consistently pulled in massive box office numbers despite lukewarm critical reception, Disney’s Snow White arrives under a cloud of controversy, dogged by online discourse, multiple delays, and an overwhelming sense that even the House of Mouse itself isn’t quite sure what to do with a movie carrying far more baggage than any fairy tale should.

Few live-action Disney films have faced this level of pre-release scrutiny, from the casting of West Side Story’s (2021) Colombian-Polish actress Rachel Zegler in the title role, which sparked backlash from purists who stubbornly clung on to the animated version of the character, even as the decision to replace the seven dwarfs with CGI-animated companions raised its own set of criticisms, most notably from Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage, an actor with dwarfism who called out the film for what he saw as “backward” representation. 

Zegler’s own comments about the original film being “extremely dated” and her version of Snow White not needing a prince were met with intense pushback, making her an unexpected lightning rod for Disney detractors. And then there’s the matter of Disney’s marketing strategy (or lack thereof). Then you have the choice of Israeli actress Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) as the Evil Queen, and the questioning of how a former model with her looks could feel threatened by Zegler’s Snow White. With multiple, and at times unwarranted, attacks and criticism levelled at the film, it also became apparent that the studio was bracing for failure rather than gearing up for a tentpole blockbuster.

All of this creates a unique challenge – how does a film that’s been dissected, memed, and boycotted before its release actually hold up? It doesn’t matter if you’re only a fan of the German fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, or the animated version, or the many variants that have appeared in the last 80 years – while Disney’s Snow White does takes liberties with the classic story, attempting to frame its heroine as more proactive than the passive damsel of old, it is also a modern adaptation of a classic story that stands on its own. The controversy surrounding its production will surely overshadow much of what the film actually achieves, but director Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man, (500) Days of Summer) has delivered glimmers of something worthwhile buried beneath the noise.

No longer named for her “skin as white as snow” like in the 1812 German fairy tale, this Snow White monicker carries new meaning as she is so named because she was born during a blizzard to the Good King (Hadley Fraser, Les Misérables) and Good Queen (Lorena Andrea, Warrior Nun), a change that aims to sidestep outdated notions of beauty, while reinforcing her destined role as a fair and just ruler who leads with kindness. 

In keeping with this emphasis on Snow White’s active role, the film’s music also contributes to her transformation by opening with ‘Good Things Grow’, an original number by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriting duo behind The Greatest Showman (2017) and La La Land (2016). Sung by the people of the kingdom, the song establishes both the world and the journey Snow White must undertake. The composition leans into the sweeping, Broadway-style arrangements that have defined many of Disney’s recent musical projects, blending a sense of nostalgia with modern theatrical energy. 

But the good times don’t last long. Gadot’s Evil Queen enters early, bewitching the Good King after the death of Snow White’s mother and seizing control of the kingdom. With the Good King sent away, the Evil Queen drains the land of its riches, leaving its people in poverty. Webb plays with lighting effectively here as vibrant colours fade as the Evil Queen’s grip tightens, transforming the once-thriving kingdom into a cold, lifeless realm. Still, any goodwill built by the film’s visual choices is quickly undone once Gadot starts singing. 

Traditionally, Disney villains command attention through their anthems. Ursula’s ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ slithers with manipulation, Scar’s ‘Be Prepared’ marches with ominous intent, and Judge Claude Frollo’s ‘Hellfire’ remains one of the most chilling pieces of character work in Disney history. Sadly ‘All Is Fair’, the Evil Queen’s villain song, does none of that as it is a self-aggrandising number about power and vanity, and feels more like a discarded track from Wish (2023), which coincidentally and ironically suffers from the same issues as that film’s ‘This Is The Thanks I Get?!’, sung by Gadot’s Wonder Woman co-star Chris Pine. 

It’s difficult to watch without imagining what a stronger actress could have done with the role. Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road) brought striking menace to Queen Ravenna in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), even as Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman) leaned into a self-aware camp in Mirror Mirror (2012), while Lana Parrilla’s (Why Women Kill) Evil Queen/Regina Mills in TV’s Once Upon a Time (2011-2018) balanced vulnerability with chilling manipulation. Gadot, by contrast, is a blank slate, relying on exaggerated gestures rather than genuine menace. Her facial expressions remain fixed, her line delivery lacks modulation, and her emotions flip between extremes with no transition. Compare this to Cate Blanchett’s (Tár) Lady Tremaine in the 2015 Disney live-action Cinderella, who used subtle micro-expressions to hint at buried jealousy and resentment – Gadot’s performance has none of that nuance.

Against this, Zegler’s Snow White feels like she’s trapped in a different film, one that actually values earnest, full-hearted performances. Snow White is kept captive in her own kingdom, belittled by the Evil Queen and isolated from the people she was meant to lead. ‘Waiting On A Wish’, her defining solo, reflects that inner turmoil: she longs to step into her role but lacks the means to do so. The contemporary song itself doesn’t reinvent the Disney formula but works well enough, carried largely by Zegler’s vocal power and emotional conviction to the number.

While the discourse surrounding Snow White has often focused on Zegler’s off-screen comments, it has overshadowed the fact that she is, without question, a talented performer. She leads the film with confidence, embodying a Snow White who is less a naive ingénue and more a non-violent revolutionary, determined to reclaim a kingdom stolen from her, though whether this reinterpretation is a necessary evolution or a tired trope is up for debate, since the rather tired and old trope of a royal finding their place and reclaiming power has been explored in countless fairy tale adaptations. Unlike the original which functioned as a fable about vanity and deception, this remake leans heavily on Disney’s theme of self-discovery, a formula the studio has been chasing ever since the Disney Renaissance, tying every protagonist’s journey back to a crisis of identity.

The film at least has the self-awareness to poke fun at this trope, introducing ‘Princess Problems’, a cheesy number that playfully critiques Snow White’s idealism. Sung by stage actor Andrew Burnap’s (The Inheritance) Jonathan, Disney’s answer to the original Prince, the song highlights the ideological divide between Snow White’s hopeful leadership and the more pragmatic struggles of the kingdom’s people (Let me break you the news, the odds can’t be beaten / And a man’s gotta choose, will he eat or get eaten?), acknowledging the limitations of the princess archetype in a way that feels at least mildly refreshing.

Jonathan himself is a fully realised character, crafted in the mold of Tangled’s (2010) Flynn Rider or that of the legendary Robin Hood: charming, self-serving, yet ultimately principled. He operates in shades of grey by leading a group of hoodies-wearing (yes, hoodies) bandits who steal from the Evil Queen, fight in the Good King’s name, and follow a moral code that exists outside of fairy tale idealism. His interactions with Snow White form the emotional core of the film, as their opposing worldviews collide, challenge, and ultimately complement each other. 

Their love story finds its footing in ‘A Hand Meets a Hand’, the film’s signature duet that replaces the original love song ‘Some Day My Prince Will Come’. Drawing clear inspiration from Tangled’s I See the Light, the scene is drenched in warm, glowing light as the two characters slowly let down their emotional walls. The song plays like a conversation, with their verses mirroring their perspectives, gradually intertwining as they acknowledge a simple but profound truth – neither of them wants to walk this road alone. 

What’s more appealing about the song is a newly added lyric (But if there’s a world where you wake me / Promise to wake me with a kiss) that cements the idea of consent at the climax of their love story, making their final act of love feel deliberate rather than circumstantial. Even with the poisoned apple sequence unfolding much as expected, the kiss no longer carries the problematic undertones of the original, when Jonathan arrives to wake her.

While the film makes strides in updating certain aspects of the story, other choices feel less successful, with the dwarves remaining one of the film’s most contentious elements. Rather than casting actors with dwarfism, Disney opted for a mix of CGI and voice acting, resulting in an uncanny, animated imitation of the original film’s characters. Of all the dwarves (‘magical creatures’, as this film calls it), Andrew Barth Feldman’s (No Hard Feelings) Dopey receives the most attention, undergoing significantly more development than the rest. Martin Klebba (Mirror Mirror), the only actor with dwarfism in the main group, voices Grumpy, while the remaining dwarves, Tituss Burgess’ (The Little Mermaid) Bashful, Jason Kravits’ (The Practice) Sneezy, George Salazar’s (The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical) Happy, Jeremy Swift’s (Ted Lasso) Doc, Andy Grotelueschen’s (A Complete Unknown) Sleepy, and Feldman’s Dopey, are played by average-height actors and while their performances are solid, especially in the film’s rendition of ‘Heigh-Ho’, the CGI work is distracting, creating a disconnect between Snow White and her supposed companions. 

It’s an even stranger choice given that the film actually features one prominent character with dwarfism – Quigg, a bandit played by George Appleby (Game of Thrones). His presence only underlines the contradiction: if there was space for Quigg, why wasn’t there room for an updated take on the classic seven? Instead, audiences are given uncanny CGI characters that never quite fit into the world around them, a distracting choice that dilutes both the film’s visual appeal and its supposed commitment to progress. 

For all its flaws, the film does succeed in delivering a heroine who grows into her strength rather than simply discovering it. Snow White, stripped of her title, her home, and her agency, finds power in her own kindness, rallying her people not with brute force but with a belief in something better. Zegler sells this transformation, her voice soaring through each song as she asserts herself not as a girl waiting for rescue, but as a leader reclaiming her kingdom with a call for unity, for a return to kindness, for a belief that goodness still holds power in a world that has tried to stamp it out. At a time when cynicism often feels like the easiest path, when heroism is so often measured in brute strength and fiery vengeance, there is something radical about a film that dares to insist that kindness is what truly changes the world.

That idea alone makes Snow White worth watching. It may not be perfect, even as it will likely frustrate, divide, and spark endless debate. But in its final, quiet moments, as Snow White stands tall as a symbol of resilience and hope, it becomes clear that its message is one worth hearing – the world could use a little more kindness. 

And in a story that reminds a new generation of its power, that is, perhaps, the most magical thing of all.

Natalie

Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace.