#review: Is Disney's Snow White the fairest remake of them all?

Disney's live action remake of Snow White is finally here! David Ho acts as the Magic Mirror and gives you the fairest review of them all

Few projects have had as rough a time of it as Disney’s live action Snow White, even before it was released.

Controversy has abounded since Rachel Zegler, who is of Colombian descent, was announced to play the titular character in 2021. Then, actor Peter Dinklage’s tantrum about actors with dwarfism being cast as “seven dwarves living in a cave” ensured the world’s shortest ladder was quickly hauled up behind him.       

Things got really heated after Zegler and Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, were interviewed in 2022. Zegler’s comments about fearing the original animated film as a child, of Snow White not needing a “stalker” prince to save her, and her male co-star’s scenes possibly being cut came across as abrasive and ungrateful. 

Both Zegler and Gadot’s social media posts supporting opposing sides of the Gaza War, a rising conservative movement, unflattering visual leaks, and general fatigue for Disney’s live action remakes have led to Snow White becoming the internet’s favourite punching bag.

The film was then delayed by a year from its intended 2024 premiere for reshoots, and perhaps for public sentiments to cool. But Zegler’s emotional post about Trump and his supporters further stoked the fire, leaving Disney’s publicists and shareholders sweating. Rumours of Gadot being switched out last minute as a presenter for Best Documentary at the 2025 Oscar’s, which was won by a pro-Palestine film, have also not helped. 

In response, Snow White’s premieres have been kept small and without red carpet press present. The rollout of film merchandise has been kept fairly limited too, despite the project coming from one of the world’s biggest conglomerates. 

Disney’s live action remakes have had a rather scattered track record. It has ranged from being bad (2020’s Mulan lost the essence of the titular character) and unnecessary (Pinocchio and Peter Pan & Wendy) to enjoyable (The Little Mermaid and Cruella) and wonderful (Cinderella and Maleficent). Now that it is finally here, how does Snow White fare as a movie and within the House of Mouse’s live action universe?

First off, the 2025 remake is different from the 1937 animation in quite a few ways. Zegler doesn’t speak in the original Snow White voice actress Adriana Caselotti’s operatic warble, but that works in her favour. After all, it would seem a bit removed from reality to talk in such a quaint, singsong manner for a live action take. This frees Zegler up to interpret the character in her own way, which is a bit sassier than the sweet-as-apple-pie original. Despite all the Internet hate, Zegler makes for a convincing princess whose world has been turned upside down by circumstance. 

The most we hear of Caselotti in Zegler’s take is when she channels her vocal runs for the chore busting number “Whistle While You Work”. It’s clear that her casting had very much to do with her singing ability. Emma Watson’s lack of it in her version of Belle was one of the bigger criticisms leveled at the 2017’s Beauty and the Beast. So fortunately, we are spared that here.  

Zegler’s soaring vocals and vibrant vibrato really bring the movie’s new songs to life. The best of these is “Waiting on a Wish”. This is Snow’s ‘I wish’ song, a staple storytelling device for Disney Princesses since Ariel sang about wanting to be part of the human world in 1989’s The Little Mermaid. It holds its own against those from any other Disney Princess, even if it is reminiscent of Moana’s “How Far I’ll Go”. 

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As mentioned, “Waiting on a Wish” is the standout of the soundtrack. But Zegler does a great job on both new and classic tracks alike. One of the new additions is “Princess Problems”, her duet with the male lead, Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), which reminds us of The Sound of Music’s “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”. Oh, and her love interest is no longer a prince, but a handsome bandit that feels very Flynn Ryder from Tangled coded. In fact, longtime Disney fans might recognize Snow and Jonathan’s chemistry as being like that of Rapunzel and Ryder. But since Jonathan is not a prince, we sadly only get “Someday My Prince Will Come” in instrumental form.  

The Evil Queen is given a vampy new number in “All is Fair”. This villain tune is all jazz hands, which makes us think Disney is preparing for this to eventually be adapted for Broadway. Much like the sea witch Ursula “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, this has potential to be a camp classic. While clearly not a singer by trade, Gadot turns in a satisfactory enough performance for this, unlike Michelle Yeoh in Wicked. Gadot has often used the term "delicious" to describe her take, and it's clear she had fun camping it up as the character. 

Director Marc Webb and screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson tick most of the classic plot points and try to flesh out Snow White’s story a bit more. Some of it makes sense and do make her a more rounded character, like showing a younger Snow’s time with her parents, instances of her helping other characters, and her bond with Dopey in particular. On that note, seeing the CGI dwarves also feels a bit jarring next to the human actors at first. But other visual effect-heavy parts like Snow White’s run through the haunted forest holds up better than expected, as does Zegler’s styling, which doesn't translate well to stills. 

There are some newer plot points here that fall flat, like Snow’s obsession with baking apple pies for her citizens, which seems almost Marie Antoinette-level tone deaf. Fix the bigger problems, lady! Plus, her eventual insistence on becoming a leader (not a spoiler since Zegler has mentioned this in prior interviews) and rallying the people also happens all too conveniently, considering that the mostly sheltered Snow has not been seen by her subjects for years. 

The finale that leads to the Evil Queen’s defeat is also quite different from the original. Some have compared it to the ending in Disney’s last animated venture, Wish. Considering that Wish had some theorized tie-ins as a prequel to Snow White, it is a good full circle moment for the hardcore Disney fans. But it could have been more exciting, like in other takes such as Snow White & the Huntsman starring Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron.   

Overall, Snow White makes for an enjoyable watch and a solid entry in Disney’s live action library, comparable to recent ones like The Little Mermaid and Cruella but doesn’t reach the lofty heights of Cinderella and Maleficent. It’s not without its flaws and is unlikely to change the minds of those who are already determined to dislike it. But those looking for a bit of Disney magic will find some fun in this version of the very first Disney Princess.    

Verdict: This is family friendly fare with some genuinely delightful musical moments. If you skip the bandwagon hate and go into it with an open mind, you might find yourself whistling while you watch.        

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