by Tim Gordon
Disney’s Snow White is proof that not every animated classic needs a soulless, live-action facelift. Billed as a bold reimagining of the 1937 masterpiece, this version trades timeless charm for awkward storytelling, half-baked plot twists, and a cast stranded in a film that can’t decide if it’s a fairy tale or a grim slog through the forest. The result? A poisoned apple of a remake that leaves audiences wishing they’d just stayed home with the original.
Directed by Marc Webb and written by Erin Cressida Wilson, the film tries to breathe new life into the familiar tale of the princess whose beauty threatens her vain stepmother. The setup remains mostly the same: after the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) seizes the throne, Snow White (Rachel Zegler) flees into the forest, finds refuge with a ragtag band in this case, a mix of the Seven Dwarfs and a new bandit named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) and eventually rises to reclaim her kingdom. On paper, it’s a fine premise for a fresh take. In execution, it’s clunky at best.
The film’s tone is its first fatal flaw. It wants to be an inspiring tale of rebellion and self-empowerment, but it can’t balance its desire to be edgy with the sweetness and wonder that made the original so enduring. One moment, we’re treated to dreary palace intrigues and scenes of oppressed peasants; the next, we’re supposed to swoon over a meet-cute between Snow White and the bandit leader. The result is tonal whiplash that robs the story of any real emotional momentum.
Rachel Zegler, who has shown real charisma in other roles, does her best with the material but feels stifled by a script that can’t decide what kind of Snow White it wants her to be. Is she a bright-eyed innocent discovering the world for the first time, or a defiant warrior princess with a rebel band at her side? The film’s conflicting ideas about her character keep her performance stuck somewhere in the middle, never truly endearing or empowering.
Then there’s Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen, a piece of casting that sounded intriguing in theory but falls apart on screen. Gadot’s natural warmth makes her ill-suited to play a villain who should ooze icy menace and narcissistic cruelty. Instead, her performance lands somewhere between pantomime camp and stiff overacting, never once approaching the terrifying presence that made the animated version so iconic.
The new additions, like Jonathan, the roguish bandit who feels lifted straight from another film entirely, add nothing but confusion. His subplot is undercooked, and his chemistry with Snow White is almost nonexistent. The Seven Dwarfs, meanwhile, are reduced to background filler with none of the charm or distinct personalities that made them beloved in the first place.
Visually, there are glimpses of the fairy-tale magic Disney is known for, the forest set pieces and the Queen’s transformation still have a bit of gothic allure, but they’re buried under a drab production design and CGI that ranges from passable to downright cartoonish. Even the musical numbers, which should be the heart of any Disney fantasy, feel awkwardly staged and forgettable, failing to capture the sing-along spirit of the original’s timeless songs.
By the time the film limps toward its big showdown, it’s clear that this Snow White doesn’t trust its source material. It wants to update it, subvert it, and expand it, but it never finds a clear vision for how to do so. In the end, it sacrifices the very things that made the original so magical: simple storytelling, enchanting visuals, and characters who felt timeless.
In a year crowded with remakes and reboots, Disney’s Snow White stands out for all the wrong reasons. It’s not just unnecessary, it’s a reminder that some fairy tales are better left untouched.
Grade: D
