A Flawed but Worthy Addition to Disney's Live-Action Library
Disney's latest live-action adaptation of Snow White delivers an enchanting modern take on their iconic 1937 animated classic, balancing reverence for the original with contemporary sensibilities. The film succeeds primarily through Rachel Zegler's remarkable vocal performance and chemistry with Andrew Burnap, though it suffers from some uneven CGI work and a disappointing turn by Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Director Marc Webb presents a visually dazzling musical that expands on Walt Disney's original vision while introducing new elements that resonate with today's audiences.
Honoring Disney's First Princess Tale
Disney's 1937 animated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs holds a special place in cinema history as the first feature-length cartoon fairytale produced in the United States, launching Disney's legendary animation legacy. The original film represented groundbreaking technical achievements in its time, particularly with its innovative multi-plane camera technology that was essentially a prototype, with Snow White serving as the experimental showcase. This historical context creates enormous expectations for any remake to navigate, as the original's straightforward storytelling was tailored for the audiences of the late 1930s.
Marc Webb's 2025 adaptation acknowledges this reality by not attempting to replicate the original merely, but instead building upon its foundation while respecting its iconic elements. The director explains that part of the creative process involved returning to the Walt Disney Archives to understand how Walt originally brought "Snow White" to life, describing the experience as "humbling" given the immense care put into the original masterpiece. This research-based approach demonstrates the filmmakers' commitment to honoring the spirit of Disney's first princess tale while evolving it for contemporary viewers.
Expanded Storytelling and Character Development
The 2025 adaptation takes advantage of its live-action format to expand significantly on the original's straightforward narrative, providing greater depth to characters and relationships. Screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson cleverly updates the story to give Snow White a more pronounced character arc reminiscent of Disney Renaissance-era princesses, transforming her from the reactive character of the original to someone whose innocence and kindness evolve into a different form of strength for young audiences to admire.
Particularly noteworthy is how the film expands the romance storyline, giving Snow White and her love interest Jonathan a more believable meet-cute and relationship development. This expansion draws directly from Disney history, as Webb revealed that a sketch discovered in the Disney Archives showing "the Prince being held in the dungeon" – a storyline Walt Disney never completed to his satisfaction – provided inspiration for Jonathan's character and the more developed romantic relationship in the film. Webb describes this as "picking up where Walt left off," suggesting the film honors not just what was in the original but what might have been.
Rachel Zegler's Star-Making Turn
Rachel undeniably carries the film with what critics are calling "the best vocal performance of any live-action Disney Princess". The West Side Story breakout star imbues Snow White with authentic innocence and naïve kindness that evolves throughout the film, creating a character both enchanting and empowering. Her performance avoids the pitfalls of making Snow White a generic "girl boss" character, instead maintaining the character's essential princess qualities while giving her more agency and development.
The chemistry between Zegler and Andrew Burnap (as Jonathan) proves to be one of the film's strongest assets. It channels an old Hollywood quality reminiscent of classic romantic films like It Happened One Night and Shall We Dance while also evoking comparisons to The Princess Bride and Aladdin. Their connection feels genuine and heartfelt, making their romance easy to root for and elevating the film's emotional core.
A New Musical Landscape
The musical elements of Snow White represent some of the film's most successful aspects, with songwriting duo Pasek and Paul creating new numbers that honor the Disney tradition while bringing fresh energy to the story. While classic songs from the original like "I'm Wishing," "One Song," and "Someday My Prince Will Come" have been omitted, the new compositions, particularly "Waiting on a Wish" and the duet "A Hand Meets a Hand," have been praised as gorgeous additions to the Disney Princess music catalog that feel destined to become classics in their right.
Webb's background in directing love stories (500 Days of Summer) and capturing human connections amid fantastical circumstances (The Amazing Spider-Man) serves him well in orchestrating the musical sequences. Working with choreographer Mandy Moore, the director creates dance numbers that convey the timeless feeling of romance that characterized old Hollywood musicals while maintaining a contemporary sensibility.
Production Design and Visual Magic
The film presents a dazzling visual interpretation of the classic fairy tale world, with the production design successfully recreating iconic settings like the enchanted forest and the Queen's castle while adding new dimensions and details. Marc Webb's direction captures the magical quality essential to the Snow White story, particularly in sequences involving the mirror and the transformation of the Queen into the Wicked Witch.
The elaborate costumes, particularly Snow White's signature blue and yellow dress and the Evil Queen's regal attire, pay homage to the animated original while bringing these iconic designs into a tangible reality. The attention to detail in recreating the film's iconic imagery demonstrates the filmmakers' commitment to preserving what Webb calls "the iconography of Snow White that we love".
The Problem with Dwarfs and Villain
Unfortunately, the film stumbles in two significant areas that undermine its overall quality. The first is the "atrocious looking CG Dwarfs," which, despite improvements over previous Disney live-action sidekicks, still fall into the uncanny valley. While the voice performances capture the endearing energy of the beloved characters, the visual execution fails to overcome the technical challenges of rendering the dwarfs in a convincing way. The film attempts to give them more depth by granting them fantastical abilities connected to the gemstones they mine, but this aspect feels underdeveloped, leaving it as a loose narrative thread.
The second major disappointment is Gal Gadot's performance as the Evil Queen. Despite her striking beauty, Gadot struggles to create a compelling villain with the necessary dramatic presence and menace. Her musical numbers are particularly problematic, with her villain song "All Is Fair" suffering from what appears to be heavy post-processing beyond simple autotuned, and excessive cutaways that suggest issues with her vocal performance. The character lacks the diva quality and theatrical villainy that made the animated Evil Queen so memorable, representing a missed opportunity for one of Disney's most iconic antagonists.
Bottom Line
A Flawed but Worthy Addition to Disney's Live-Action Library. Disney's Snow White (2025) emerges as an enchanting musical that, despite its shortcomings, delivers an empowering message about standing against tyranny while honoring the spirit of the original tale. Rachel Zegler definitively establishes herself as this generation's Snow White, elevating the film with her exceptional vocal performance and charming presence. The expanded storyline, drawing from Walt Disney's unrealized ideas, adds meaningful depth to the characters and relationships.
The film represents a "decently charming note" in Disney's rocky history with live-action remakes, though it may not fully convince detractors of the trend, particularly with more adaptations like Lilo & Stitch and Tangled on the horizon. Its strengths in music, lead performances, and visual design are counterbalanced by disappointing CGI for the dwarfs and an underwhelming villain performance from Gadot.
For audiences approaching the film with realistic expectations rather than demanding an exact recreation of the 1937 classic, Snow White offers a nostalgic yet refreshed experience that honors its predecessor while finding its voice. As the film arrives in theaters on March 21, 2025, it stands as a testament to both the enduring power of Disney's first princess tale and the challenges inherent in reimagining beloved classics for contemporary viewers.
About the Writer
Jenny, the tech wiz behind Jenny's Online Blog, loves diving deep into the latest technology trends, uncovering hidden gems in the gaming world, and analyzing the newest movies. When she's not glued to her screen, you might find her tinkering with gadgets or obsessing over the latest sci-fi release.What do you think of this blog? Write down at the COMMENT section below.
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