3.0 out of 5.0 stars
“Snow White” premiered in U.S. theaters March 21, reimagining the renowned Disney classic to give Snow White a purpose beyond merely eating a poisoned apple and being woken up by true love’s kiss. She is rewritten to be strong and resilient, proving herself as the fairest of them all. The film suffered from mediocre acting and poor costume design. However, it created an inspiring version of Snow White for young girls, a quality that was not apparent in the original Disney princess film.
This Disney remake, directed by Marc Webb, tells the original tale of Snow White while sprinkling in new storylines, including context about her parents and her kingdom. The role of Snow White is admirably played by Rachel Zegler, an actress who recently starred as María in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” After the death of the Queen, the King marries a beautiful but dangerous woman, the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot). Snow White then lives as the Evil Queen’s servant while the kingdom is transformed into one that is dull and daunting.
The animated character from the original 1937 film lacked significant context, so it is inspiring to see Snow White be rewritten as a smart, brave and compassionate woman. She is determined to restore peace in her community after the Evil Queen takes control of the kingdom. As the oldest Disney Princess, the original film’s sexist undertones restrict her character from having any depth whatsoever. The new version adds layers to her, showing her in a new light that audiences have not seen before.
Disney’s recent live-action remakes of original animated films create more developed versions of the classics that are dear to fans’ hearts. The live-action Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Snow White each rewrite their iconic Disney princesses as stronger role models for young girls. In their original films, the princesses represent the beauty of falling in love, but the live-action remakes develop their characters into strong women with multifaceted personalities.
The acting choices made by the cast of “Snow White” were weak, with the exception of Zegler. For a Disney movie catered towards children, the acting was clear and concise, but older audiences could see through the fantasy of their characters. The portrayal of the Evil Queen and Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), Snow White’s love interest, was nothing special. During scenes in which the Evil Queen is supposed to be plotting against Snow White, the acting from Gadot seems superficial and aggressively on the nose. Similarly, in scenes where Jonathan is defending Snow White against the queen, Burnap lacks emotional depth and doesn’t seem fully invested past surface-level depictions of fairytale true love.
Zegler truly elevated Snow White and was the life of the movie, keeping it afloat. Her background in theater provided her with the skills necessary to shine during the musical numbers. For example, “Whistle While You Work” was brought to life by Zegler; her energy uplifted the number, making it more entertaining and fun to watch.
One of the songs that fell short in the film was the Evil Queen’s song, “All is Fair.” Writers and composers seemed to rush through the piece, leading to its weak lyrics and mediocre orchestration. With this being said, most of the original songs created for this movie were well-developed, especially “Waiting on a Wish.” This ballad, sung by Zegler, exemplifies the struggle of feeling held back and waiting for your moment to come.
Despite Snow White’s miraculous ability to find safety in the woods, she can’t seem to find a dress that lives up to the film’s grandiose budget. Costume designers attempted to keep the original Snow White costume consistent with the original movie’s, but sacrificed visual appeal to do that. The costume is weak, and the bright yellow skirt infantilizes her character, contradicting the more mature version of Snow White that the writers tried to instill in their audience.
The seven dwarves were created for this film using computer-generated images, which did not reflect well in the theater for several reasons. These characters being created using CGI did not benefit the world-building and took away opportunities for actors to do more with the roles. On top of this, the CGI used to create them was poorly done, making them look very unrealistic and uneasy. Still, Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful and Dopey were prominent parts of the film. One of the most visually interesting scenes was the song “Heigh–Ho,” where CGI was used to create a diamond mine that the seven dwarves worked in throughout the day. The settings looked magical and emulated storybook illustrations, keeping the Disney magic alive throughout the movie.
Although the film lacked in terms of acting, the settings and visuals were interesting and successful in allowing Snow White to be more than what she was in the original. The complexity of her character is prevalent throughout the film, showcasing the story of Snow White in a new and improved light. Above all else, it was inspiring to see Snow White as a heroine, rather than a woman who needs to be saved.
