Live-action remakes of classic Disney animated films are just a thing now. That’s right, get used to it, because they’re not going away anytime soon. As long as Disney is making big bucks at the box office, these remakes will continue. There are very few live-action remakes that audiences have enjoyed, but the upcoming Lilo & Stitch film seems to be generating more positive buzz than we’ve seen for a Disney remake in some time. Before we get to Lilo, first we have to go through this weekend’s release of Snow White.
Table of Contents
- Plot: A Princess Saves Her Kingdom
- Performances: Average at Best
- Visuals: Stylistic Choices Were Made
- Final Verdict: It’s Just Okay
- About Snow White
Plot: A Princess Saves Her Kingdom
If you’re not familiar with the plot of Snow White, it’s unclear where you’ve been living, but for the sake of humor let’s get into it. When the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) takes over a faraway kingdom, her step-daughter Snow White (Rachel Zegler) must make a dangerous decision to take her kingdom back, and free her people and herself from oppression. The first half of the film is nearly identical to the animated classic, but the second half takes a few liberties.
While it’s debatable how well the story of Snow White has aged, if director Marc Webb and writer Erin Cressida Wilson were going to take liberties with the story, they should have focused on improving it, even if only updating it for modern audiences. There’s nothing particularly interesting about the story of Snow White. It’s full of plot convenience, with stakes that are shaky at best, and minimal motivations for underdeveloped characters. But it’s also squarely aimed at children, so you can let some of that slide.
Performances: Average at Best
As both a children’s film and a musical, the performances in Snow White are mostly passable. Snow White’s classic hairstyle looks a bit awkward on Rachel Zegler, but it works well-enough. The seven dwarfs are voiced to satisfaction, and arguably the most entertaining aspect of the film, with Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) and his bandits providing just enough assistance to prevent audiences from falling asleep.
While none of the performances are particularly riveting, Gal Gadot is the weakest link. The script doesn’t do her any favors, but the “evil” aspect of the Evil Queen feels campy at best, and outright fake at its worst. The occasional evil laugh just isn’t enough to be convincing, and is a full step short of the borderline scary (for kids) Evil Queen of the animated film.
Visuals: Stylistic Choices Were Made
One point of contention is likely to be the use of CG. All of the dwarfs, as well as the forest animals are entirely CG. They are somewhat stylized, which helps to avoid the uncanny valley effect of The Lion King, and within that art style, they do work, but some of the dwarfs’ dance routines don’t quite animate as well as they should. Nothing that’s overly distracting, but not Disney’s best work.
Final Verdict: It’s Just Okay
Like almost every other live-action Disney remake, Snow White never surpasses the original animated feature. It’s not a terrible film like some would have you believe, but it’s not good either. Snow White is serviceable at best, which once again brings up the question of why bother. The animated classic is better in every way, and it does not seem as though the creative team tried to add anything of significance with the remake. It’s fine… and that’s about it.
About Snow White
Synopsis: A princess joins forces with seven dwarfs to liberate her kingdom from her cruel stepmother the Evil Queen. A live-action adaptation of the 1937 Disney animated film ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’.
Director: Marc Webb
Writer: Erin Cressida Wilson
Cast: Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, Andrew Burnap, Jeremy Swift, Ansu Kabia, Emilia Faucher
Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 Hour, 49 Minutes
Release Date: March 21, 2025
Bryan Dawson has been writing professionally since the age of 13. He started his career as a video game writer and has since worked for Random House, Prima Games, DirecTV, IGN, AOL, the British Government, and various other organizations. For GNN, Bryan taps into his passion for movies.
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
