Disney’s “Snow White” is a clear-cut and enjoyable retelling of a timeless classic. Despite many bearing concerns over various issues that offered a negative lens throughout production and behind-the-scenes controversy, the final product was no poison apple as many were truly convinced it would be. Still, it felt like the taste went a bit sour due to a muddled identity crisis.
In its place was a beautiful, eloquently directed film from director Marc Webb’s vision. It’s a larger-than-life Broadway-esque escapade reinforced by gorgeous sets and strong visuals, even though some moments felt out of touch. The film is anchored by an operatic and stand-out performance by lead actress Rachel Zegler, who carried it with grace and budding innocence.
With all that said, the latest Disney live-action adaption thrives the most when it’s allowed to slow down and be upfront and honest. It thrives in the reality of invoking themes such as acceptance, human attachment, and understanding that strength and beauty are the same, as the screenplay penned by scribe Erin Cressida Wilson does reinvent various concepts along with patented key details from the original, as the character is given a new deviation to how she got her name, along with a bit of necessary new original ideas give levity on how the plot advances and at the narrative’s core, builds a somewhat satisfying retelling.
Zegler is charming. She brings grit and confidence to the role and is the experience’s best part. She offers a different perspective on what a princess can symbolize, most notably as the stories continue to stand the test of time and the progression of storytelling and character dynamics evolve. There’s a deep passion beneath the small exterior, along with feeling driven, pure, and an element of change as a bonafide leader who wants to see the good in everyone she encounters. However, it’s fun to see the various dynamics of how her mindset evolves from living in a child-like state of euphoric fantasy through the first 15 minutes of the film to establishing stability and motivation that carries through most of the film, especially when the decrypt decline of the kingdom, dripping into chaos under the authoritarian control of Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen, arrives at her doorstep, turning her world asunder, to other times where she meets the dwarfs, falling into the realm of more fantasy instead of reality.
Even the love interest is not Prince Charming, but a new bandit or ‘freedom fighter’ Flynn Rider character named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), whose chemistry with Zegler is pure lightning in a bottle from the first time they meet until the credits roll, and it feels earned never rushed nor forced. As both find value and love in the progression of their respective arcs to when the eventual ‘kiss’ happens, it was consensual but well received by my audience, along with the fervent and expressive confidence near the end of the film.
I’ll be honest: I was skeptical about the new additions to the timeless classic, but I was proven wrong as the songs acting as the exposition were reasonably practical, from including “Princess Problems” to “Waiting on a Wish.” “A Hand Meets a Hand,” which is choreographed to perfection by choreographer Mandy Moore, blends a sense of maturity to the plot while letting both Zegler and Burnap shine brightest under the gorgeous lighting, ushering in execution and direction reminiscent of Broadway, giving proof that Benji Pasek and Justin Paul innovate while honoring the spirit alive from original with hit classics such as “Heigh Ho,” and “Whistle While You Work,” which had my theater in joyful unison.
In speaking about Gadot’s performance, I have to confess that sometimes Gadot can come off a bit stiff, wooden, campy, and at times threatening; her performance falls flat as she never follows through on the tyranny that the film shows. Instead of telling us, we see the melancholic colors masque the kingdom, the villagers barely speak, compared to the castle, which is full of dimly lit colors, torches burning, then, the shroud of Disney delight is peeled away methodically to a time of darker animation. We see the farmers be turned into soldiers and the legend of Snow White be transformed into myth, as Webb doesn’t shy away from the despair that the screenplay encapsulates.
The Evil Queen makes the forgotten princess cut her hair and is forced to work in the castle, akin to Mother Gothel hoarding the innocence and nativity of Rapunzel from Disney’s “Tangled” (2012). From that point forward, I was waiting to see Gadot have more to do instead of standing in shame and annoyance at the iconic mirror telling her Snow White is now fairest of all due to her self-confidence and choice to see the good instead of relying on looks and vanity. The pragmatic Evil Queen is written in the guise of a Marie Antionette with the iconic “let them eat cake” being twisted into pies and treats, which are used as a luxury that shows the fear and power of Gadot’s kingdom under her thumb. Still, I wished and longed for more immersion with the citizens, voicing frustrations or seeing the anger boil over. One element that Gadot thrived in was her musical number “All is Fair” (an original song), which showcased everything I wanted to see but not from within the security of her castle, as the song felt like an allegory of how the Queen despised her subjects for not respecting her, making the fury shown, but never expressed.
Regarding retreading, I wish that’s where the similarities would stop, but sadly, they don’t, as elements of “Frozen” also appear, such as Disney’s most recent animated escapade, “Wish.” It went beyond narrative as other moments felt plucked and staged like a Disney Channel Original movie, and it wasn’t bad; it just felt out of touch as the visuals ranged from gorgeous, practical sets to over-glorification of CGI or feeling the film was created entirely in post-production or shot in the volume. Then, there was the glutton of too many characters stuffed into the film, most notably in the second act, where the film loses its momentum and descends into a point of exposition crisis. One element worthy of praise was the wardrobe and the replication from the storyboards of animation and how the essence of the original is present. And, yes, there are a few changes, but they never feel uninspired or cheap. The colors pop and flourish, except on some occasions. That being noted, be aware not everything is an exact scene-by-scene replication.
However, “Snow White” does have a beautiful balance of choices, and the heroic journey Zegler is allowed to take is crafted quite well. The audience is given time for her motivations to sink in, and her empathy is felt, along with the choice to have the animals be more animated instead of taking on a more photo-realistic approach, which gives that signature Disney flavor of losing yourself in the moment, is eloquent and will warm the hearts of all families. Speaking of the big one, the dwarves sound tremendous but appear odd to the adult viewer. The kids in the audience giggled, and I overheard many confess they were treated to how the three good fairies in “Maleficent” were presented.
It’s clear Marc Webb poured his entire creative soul into this. It’s a shame, though, that many lousy publicity moments could tarnish the creativity and joy of what he has crafted, as Disney’s “Snow White” is one of their more substantial and cohesive remakes. Still, sometimes, some decisions are left to be questioned, and others fly and soar quickly. All of that being said, kids will love it, fans of Disney will probably enjoy it, and others will reject it.
It’s not a poison apple but thrives and finds its voice when it gets going. One thing is certain: Zegler is a star, and I hope the negative reception doesn’t prevent her from receiving other opportunities to let her voice sing.
Disney’s “Snow White” is a live-action musical reimagining the classic 1937 film. The magical music adventure returns to the timeless story with beloved characters Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy.
The movie is directed by Marc Webb, written by Erin Cressida Wilson, and produced by Marc Platt, p.g.a., and Jared LeBoff, p.g.a., with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer. It features all-new original songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
The film also stars Andrew Burnap as Jonathan, Andrew Barth Feldman as Dopey, Tituss Burgess as Bashful, Martin Klebba as Grumpy, Jason Kravits as Sneezy, George Salazar as Happy, Jeremy Swift as Doc, and Andrew Grotelueschen as Sleepy.
Disney’s “Snow White” is currently available in theaters.
