Let’s be fair, people. I’m not going to unpack all of the controversy leading up to Snow White’s release, but it’s safe to say most of the internet has already made up their minds. That’s not how film criticism should work, however.  You can’t judge a movie solely based on a production still, a trailer, or what the star said out of context. It’s only human to go into a movie with expectations, be they high or low. Until you’ve watched a movie from beginning to end, though, you have no right to definitively say whether it’s good or bad. As somebody who watched Snow White, I can safely say that it isn’t Disney’s worst live-action remake… but it’s not one of their better ones either.
Ironically, the film’s best aspect is what’s garnered the most online harassment. As she demonstrated in West Side Story, Rachel Zegler has an angelic voice. She puts it to effective use in several new songs from Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Jack Feldman, as well as some old favorites. Someday My Prince Will Come isn’t one of them, however. That’s because this Snow White isn’t waiting for her prince. Instead, she’s waiting for her father the King to return and reclaim the throne from her evil stepmother, played by Gal Gadot in a performance that’s seemingly going for camp, yet falls flat.
Although Zegler’s claims this is a “stronger” version of Snow White, the character still doesn’t do much here. It isn’t until the final act that she really takes action. Even then, her actions don’t go beyond saying pretty words you’d find on a Disneyland T-shirt. The attempt to flesh out the romance also comes off as half-hearted. Instead of a prince, Snow White falls for a rebellious thief named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap). He’s essentially a discount Flynn Rider. Although they share more screen time than their animated counterparts, there isn’t much to the relationship beyond quippy one-liners. It’s also essentially another day-long romance, which is enough to constitute true love nonetheless.
Meanwhile, Jonathan and his fellow bandits take screen time away from the seven dwarfs. At least I think they’re dwarfs? I can’t recall if it’s ever mentioned in the film. After Peter Dinklage’s comments on the project, you can tell Disney had no idea how to portray the dwarfs in this day and age. They ultimately went the CGI route with most of the dwarfs being voiced by non-little people. The one exception is Martin Klebba as Grumpy. Funny that Klebba previously popped up in Mirror Mirror and Snow White: The Fairest of Them All.
Wherever you stand on the debate of little people playing dwarfs, the CGI designs aren’t just visually grotesque. They blend in with one another, making it hard to tell the dwarfs apart despite their personalities. What’s more, the dwarfs don’t contribute much to the story this time. You can’t imagine the 1937 classic without the seven dwarfs. The remake is afraid to even include the dwarfs in the title. This is just one of the ways that Snow White misses the point of its predecessor.
While Snow White shares many of the same problems as other live-action remakes, it also has a unique issue. Everything, from Marc Webb’s direction, to the acting, to the dialogue, feels tailored for five-year-olds. At the same time, the plot shoehorns complex themes concerning fascism and rebellion into this simple story. Walt Disney and his crew understood they were telling a simple story with simple characters and a simple message. Yet, they turned in a masterpiece that could appeal to all ages on different levels. Disney (the company, not the man) has delivered a remake that’s too childish for adults, too dull for kids, and will primarily appeal to the die-hard Disneyholics who can’t resist a poison apple.