The Internet - in all of its never-ending misery - has had it out for the new live-action "Snow White" for years at this point. Star Rachel Zegler's theater kid energy has made her the target of nasty bullies, who have decided this movie must fail for them to feel happy. The best revenge Marc Webb's "Snow White" could have gotten was to be a great film, but it really just floats around in some mediocre purgatory.
Live-action Disney remakes (live-action, in some cases used a bit too liberally) have become a genre unto themselves. "Snow White," which is adapted from the 1937 animated film, is the latest to get the live-action and CGI-heavy treatment. Most of the Disney classic movies that a generation of kids grew up with run anywhere from 75 to 90 minutes, but such a scant runtime does not justify a big expensive spectacle being brought into production. So, like the remakes before it, "Snow White" is forced to expand its story with what feels like padding.
The blueprint of the story remains, but most of what is added in feels entirely bland and the new songs play like they are fresh off the conveyor belt at the Generic Disney Tune Factory. Zegler stars as Snow White, who is being held captive by her stepmother the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot). She escapes her grasp and is banished into the forest, where she stumbles upon a cabin, which is the home of the seven dwarfs. In between, there's a bandit named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who tries to help her evade the queen's henchmen.
"Snow White" certainly isn't the first iteration of this story since the 1937 animated film (there were two "Snow White and the Huntsman" movies), but it's the first one to present itself in the traditional Disney aesthetic. The colors are bright, but feel far too glossy and computerized to escape into this world. The seven dwarfs - all sporting their known names and single personality traits - are distractingly designed (which has caused even more controversy for this film).
Not all Disney remakes suffer the same fate - but, sadly, most of them do. The reliance on CGI - which falsely allows the movie to carry the 'live-action' moniker - can often cause a movie to look garish and unsettling, which happens here. Jon Favreau's "The Jungle Book" remains the example of how to do these remakes well. His movie allowed audiences to look past the computer images and feel like they were lost in the jungle with Mowgli.
Zegler carries the movie with her charisma, but even her performance feels stitled by the Disney machine. Perhaps it's because not much around her works in the movie's favor. The love interest storyline with Burnap feels contrived and bland, and Gadot's performance as the Evil Queen adds no menace to the movie because Gadot doesn't have the range to bring it.
If streaming is here to stay, the original "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is available on Disney+ for the family to enjoy. The "Snow White" in theaters is a lifeless affair.
Movie title | Snow White |
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Release year | 2025 |
MPAA Rating | PG |
Our rating | |
Summary | The latest animated classic to get the Disney live-action treatment is padded and bland, with tunes that seem straight off the Generic Disney Tune conveyor belt. |