Snow White, 2025.
Directed by Marc Webb.
Starring Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, Andrew Burnap, Jeremy Swift, Jason Kravits, Martin Klebba, George Salazar, Tituss Burgess, Andy Grotelueschen, Andrew Barth Feldman, Emilia Faucher, Hadley Fraser, Lorena Andrea, Patrick Page, Ansu Kabia, George Appleby, Colin Michael Carmichael, Samuel Baxter, Jimmy Johnston, Dujonna Gift-Simms, Idriss Kargbo, and Jaih Betote.
SYNOPSIS:
A princess joins forces with seven dwarfs to liberate her kingdom from her cruel stepmother, the Evil Queen.
Like most rising stars that Disney cherry-picks to play live-action versions of their famous princesses (and other beloved protagonists), Rachel Zegler deserves better. More frustrating is that director Marc Webb’s Snow White has flashes of what could have been a worthy modern reimagining of the 1937 animated classic and fairytale. Working with screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson (and presumably Rachel Zegler herself, given the exhausting, endless “controversy” on social media over her remarks about the story), this version makes some intriguing changes to important characters and their dynamics. The problem is that the filmmakers are also mostly committed to hitting all of the major plot beats from the original, meaning they don’t have enough time or narrative wiggle room to delve deeper into such changes. Essentially, some solid ideas are stuck in a soulless husk of yet another Disney live-action remake.
Par for the course, there is far too much unnecessary added exposition explaining everything from how the King and Queen chose the name Snow White, an extended look at happier times under their rule and a princess who has inherited kindness from them to a look at bleak times once tragedy befalls this royal family allowing her stepmother, the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot giving a performance that is all over the map in terms of tone and delivery, somewhere between campy and whiny, with bad being the one constant) to take over and not only rule with malevolence but also apparently drain the city of all color (which was already a muted palette, to begin with).
Around this time, one of several new songs is performed (with lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who have worked on Disney live-action remakes before with forgettable results), which lacks energy and wonderment. Through no fault of Rachel Zegler, who still possesses an angelic singing voice, it’s drab and flat. That’s a running theme with this Snow White; the ideas and ingredients are here alongside an invested star, but it comes off dull and devoid of passion. The only time the film remotely comes alive grandiosely is when it comes to the extravagantly detailed costume designs, primarily from the Evil Queen, also decked out in shiny, dazzling jewelry.
The problems become exponentially more troublesome when Snow White eventually escapes an assassination attempt in the forest (for anyone not familiar, the Evil Queen derives much of her power and magic from a mythical, talking Magic Mirror that has now deemed Snow White the most beautiful and fair of all living humans) and meets the Seven Dwarfs in their remote cottage. Presumably, because 97% of most self-respecting dwarfs would say no to these roles, Disney has rendered them entirely in CGI, making for some creepy uncanny valley effect that doesn’t do the movie any favors, especially when interacting with Rachel Zegler.
This film already has CGI animals struggling to spiritedly emote and mimic the playful expressions of their hand-drawn original animated counterparts. Now, there are dwarfs stuck somewhere between human and cartoonish. Disney has already long stretched the meaning of live-action, but even for them, this is a maddening example of not choosing and sticking with a lane. Also telling of the above is that there is a live-action dwarf here (George Appleby) playing a crossbow-toting bandit.
Speaking of bandits, Snow White’s love interest here is associated with them and a common thief. Snow White preaches kindness, but Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) has adopted a more cynical, rogue mindset because the commoners are left to starve and fend for themselves unless they take positions working in the Evil Queen’s army. They come from two different world perspectives, making for a fascinating dynamic if the film had time to explore. Not only does it fail there, but even the romance is nonexistent and feels forced following a particular moment, causing them to see one another in a different light. It’s clear long before true love’s kiss that there isn’t much chemistry here.
Meanwhile, the dwarfs also have an unclear vendetta against the bandits. Snow White intelligently intervenes to paint the Evil Queen as a dictator who takes the lower social classes and turns them against one another rather than uniting and dealing with the real enemy. However, it’s another broad gesture that never amounts to anything meaningful. Instead, the Seven Dwarfs (voiced by names including Andrew Barth Feldman, Tituss Burgess, Jeremy Swift, and Martin Klebba, to name a few) are given the typical comedic treatment, which is fine. However, it doesn’t necessarily do much to prove Peter Dinklage’s impassioned point that these are insulting roles for dwarfs. And no, one or two attempts at humanizing Dopey and emotionally connecting him to Snow White don’t change anything. That’s another halfhearted idea.
There are also some notable changes to the climax I won’t get into, but damn, it drags on while building to something silly and bereft of any intensity or emotional pull. Again, some of the changes here are admirable, and it is a pleasant, welcome surprise that Snow White isn’t another shot-for-shot live-action remake. That’s what makes it more of a shame all of the usual issues persist. It’s less dopey than most Disney live-action remakes but still bound to mostly inspire grumpiness and sleepiness, with a dash of happiness occasionally when Rachel Zegler is singing. That’s the kindest thing there is to say.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd
