Tackling a live-action reimagining of Disney’s first feature film— and the first ever animated full-length feature— is no easy feat. Still, Marc Webb’s spin on the animated classic delivers on many fronts. While it’s a magically mixed bag, most of it works wonderfully.
I can’t sing enough praises (pun intended) for Rachel Zegler as Snow White! She was a fantastic choice for our princess, carrying the weight of her fractured strength and boundless bravery with poise. We already knew this, but gosh, can she sing! While cutting some fan-favourite songs was controversial, her presence and voice elevated the new songs and reimagined versions to add a fresh perspective. We’re meeting a new, modern version of Snow White, and Zegler’s performance makes a lovely, lasting impression.
On the other hand, Gal Gadot felt miscast. Outside of Wonder Woman, I have never been drawn to her performances as I always come away from them feeling that they’re very one-note. The dialogue delivery is essential to take on an iconic villain like the Evil Queen. She comes through in certain moments while others fall flat. Gadot uses the same cadence and eye-brow raises, but I wanted more depth to this take on the role. The inconsistency left me thinking about recent wickedly delicious villains, like Cate Blanchett’s Hela or Angela Jolie’s Maleficent.
Circling back to the music, I really loved the sequence and song “Waiting On A Wish,” the ballad that will ring in the ears of every babysitter for the next year, à la Frozen’s “Let It Go.” The entire soundtrack felt very bombastic, capturing the heart of this story. There are many standouts, and the songs will get stuck in your head!
I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a special shout-out to the incredible sound design— the Evil Queen cracking the crab legs at the dinner table was so satisfying, particularly with the details in the Queen’s wardrobe. You hear the jewels and hardware of her outfit moving as she moves. This small choice elevated the superfluous excess of the Queen’s world compared to the dreary village surrounding her castle.
The costuming was mainly great, with those bejeweled details on the Evil Queen glimmering gorgeously on the screen. The iconic blue and yellow dress was the only outfit I was let down by— admittedly, I tend to avoid trailers or footage for a film before seeing it. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I minded it less when she was wearing the blue coat. I think the vibrancy of the skirt portion is what threw me off. In the original film, it’s a soft light yellow, but children’s costumes and other iterations have donned a brighter hue. I think it was hard to shake because I associate this particular color palette with Halloween costumes. Also, they should’ve added some more volume to Zegler’s wig! I kept wanting to fluff it up a bit through the screen.
Similarly to Wicked, the magic of this story is dampened by the creamy, dull sheen in the beginning and end. There are many moments throughout the film where the village is supposed to look dreary, but when there should be vibrant, lively imagery, we’re left with flat, unappealing shots. There are brief moments of golden glows, but they’re fleeting. It makes me yearn for the gorgeous technicolor of the original (maybe I would’ve liked Snow White’s iconic dress a bit more if they did go with a full technicolor look for this film).
I didn’t mind the CGI dwarves, although I understand the criticism for whichever direction they chose to go in that regard. The haunted forest looked a little like a Universal Horror Nights set, lacking a tangible texture and depth to make it look like a real threat. The set design for the castle and cottage was beautiful and felt lived-in and tangible through the screen. For me, it was jarring to have the hyper-realistic CGI of the dwarves and animals juxtaposing details in the costuming and set design that looked artificial. If they took the time to either make elements of the set design/costuming look less cheap or tap into a more animated-esque CGI style, the visuals would have much more balance. Overall, the film lacks consistency in quality and cohesion in costuming, cinematography, and production design.
The story is another key part of why I enjoyed the film. The tweaks to the story revitalize the character. The original is great, but it’s almost a century old. I’m not a fan of a shot-for-shot remake unless you’re Michael Haneke, and it’s essential to evolve the tale after so many decades. The Prince in the original never stuck out to me as a memorable character in Disney’s animated lineup, but Andrew Burnap injects Jonathan with endless charm here. His and Snow White’s chemistry is very wholesome. The themes of building up your community and helping others when you have abundant resources ring true to the current landscape. That’s why someone like the Queen keeps the people starved and at her mercy, because it weakens them physically and emotionally, preventing them from fighting back on their circumstances. The collective is stronger, and the community plays a much larger part in this story. As far as the Queen, it shows vanity and selfishness create a rotten core. Seeing lessons like these in their films can be very impactful for kids.
Snow White is a solid film, uplifting your spirits as the credits begin to roll. Zegler absolutely lights up the screen with her infectiously sweet, charming presence. Young women will resonate with this princess-turned-heroine and find many positive aspects of this character to take away into their own lives.
Rating: 7/10