Magic Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest live-action Disney remake of all? Sadly, it isn’t the newest reimagining of the classic 1937 film, as Snow White struggles through a mixed bag of apples. A tale that most are familiar with, the film follows an altruistic princess oppressed by her jealous stepmother, the Evil Queen. With a bounty on her head, she retreats to the forest, where seven mining dwarfs take her in. But though it had so much potential, it stumbles through.
While it remains mostly faithful to the original, the film makes a few changes to modernize it slightly and provide additional context to the story.
It’s traded in the Prince for a commoner named Jonathan, played by Andrew Burnap. And our Snow White, played by Rachel Zegler, is more determined and vocal than the princess we’ve known (we’ll get to this). The former of which I found more interesting than a stoic royal. And their banter with one another is endearing, giving them a more profound connection.
We also see more of the tyrannical rule of the Evil Queen and how it’s affected the kingdom, thus resulting in bandits and a conspiracy regarding the King’s disappearance. Honestly, this is where I felt they tried a little too much to add unnecessary plot filler without any real narrative drive.
That somewhat rolls into the musical numbers. Four of the eight classic songs are present, coming alive so nicely on screen — an absolute delight they are to hear. But then we get to the new songs, which are rather forgettable and drag out certain scenes. And though we’ll get to Gal Gadot‘s performance as the Evil Queen, I want to know whose idea it was to write her a song to sing because it’s serving no one.
On that off note, let’s dive into performances because I think we get quite the range. If you’ve not been under a rock, the casting of Zegler was a controversy, to say the least. She is extremely talented and tries her best to bring something new to the character. My issue, though, lies within the writing of her.
Snow White feels written as just another generic princess. While I enjoy the idea of modernizing the character in some ways, I feel we lost her soft nature. She’s boisterous at times, and the confusion of whether this character should be tough versus tender is palpable.
Zegler fully shines in every musical number, feeling confident in every note. But that doesn’t fully translate to the performance, as it seems she’s thinking about every move she makes. Again, something I don’t think is a testament to her talent, but to the writing and directing. With that said, she is okay in the role, and kids will undoubtedly gravitate to her.
But there is one performance in this film that is truly horrendous, and that is Gadot.
While the actress certainly looks the part, she cannot walk, talk, act, or sing the part. It’s difficult to critique any other performance in this film when you have such a dull distraction. Lifeless. Disinteresting. A truly baffling casting choice for such an iconic role.
We get more nuanced and expressive performances out of the CGI dwarfs. Which I was honestly surprised by. They have quite a lot of detail in them, and they’re also written with such humor, so a highlight in the end, which also gave great comedic relief.
Overall, the film does a nice job with its effects. Even the CGI wildlife feels crafted with care for maximum cuteness and perfectly Disney-fied; seriously, I love them so much. The sets are dazzling, though not over-the-top, and they perfectly capture the warmth of the cottage. The cinematography, in general, is quite good.
But just as I praise those technical achievements, I’m perplexed by inconsistent costuming. Snow White’s iconic blue and yellow dress feels cheaply made. And though the Evil Queen has some decent looks, we then get a few filled with sequins and tacky gems, and not in a royally ostentatious way.
It’s this constant back and forth watching the film where I just felt the thought, the attention to detail, was missing.
I give director Marc Webb and screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson credit for wanting to breathe something new into the classic tale but the film felt so torn between two paths; staying true to the original or offering something revamped.
We’ve seen it done successfully before. From the live-action Cinderella (2015) to Beauty and the Beast (2017) to The Little Mermaid (2023) we’ve seen stories that felt faithful yet added beautiful backstories or intriguing new characteristics. But Snow White feels so pieced together with discombobulated ideas.
It was also disappointing that they fumbled the pivotal poison apple scene. It’s anti-climatic and oddly set up, completely removing how Snow White’s kind heart leads her to fall for the Queen’s tricks. In the end, there’s no added weight to it and it’s just a minor inconvenience.
In the end, this film is made for a specific audience, and will the kids love it and love our new Snow White? Most definitely. But to grade it based on a worthy adaptation or a well-executed one, I’d have to say it’s just… fine.
Snow White is in theaters now
Jordy Reviews It 
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