"Snow White" reawakened

Graphic by Caitlin Orsino

The eagerly awaited live-action adaptation of “Snow White,” helmed by Marc Webb, features Rachel Zegler from “West Side Story” and Gal Gadot from “Wonder Woman.” These casting decisions are daring, introducing a new vitality to the film, though the execution doesn’t consistently meet the enchanted expectations we had.

Set in a fairytale kingdom inspired by the 1937 animated classic, the story follows Snow White (Zegler), a kind-hearted princess who is forced into exile by her jealous stepmother, the Evil Queen (Gadot).

Unlike the original, this version gives Snow White a stronger personality. She is no longer restricted to the “damsel in distress” role, she is now portrayed as a fearless leader with a lot of independence. The updated characteristics give an interesting touch to the film. However, at times, it felt like the film was trying too hard to modernize the original.

The chemistry between Zegler and Gadot is one of the film’s strongest elements. Zegler’s performance is spectacular, and her vocal talent really makes the songs pop. Gadot fully embraces the role of the Evil Queen, delivering a performance that is both charming and menacing. While her portrayal is compelling, some of Gadot’s more dramatic scenes are almost over exaggerated, which makes her not feel like a fully developed villain.

Visually, “Snow White” is stunning. The costumes, set design, and CGI-enhanced fantasy elements create a new world. The Evil Queen’s enchanted mirror sequences are beautifully shot and add to the mystical atmosphere.

Despite its beautiful visuals, the film struggles with pacing. The first act is engaging, but the middle section drags, with certain scenes feeling drawn out and unnecessary.

A major point of discussion surrounding “Snow White” has been the changes to the seven dwarves. Rather than sticking to the original depiction, Disney opted for a more diverse ensemble of magical creatures.

This happened after facing criticism for the use of CGI instead of casting actors that have dwarfism. This gained a lot of backlash from the dwarfism community, as they expressed concerns that the CGI decision would give actors with dwarfism less opportunities in the future.

Personally, as somebody who has a disability, I feel this is a big issue in most movies and TV shows. Usually, people with disabilities aren’t played by people with the disability, so I see the reasoning behind both sides of this discourse.

Compared to other Disney live-action remakes, “Snow White” doesn’t quite reach the emotional depth of “The Lion King” or “Aladdin.” Still, it is a big step above less successful adaptations, specifically 2019’s “Dumbo.” While it brings a fresh perspective to a classic story, it almost feels like it’s trying too hard to distance itself from the original rather than embracing what made “Snow White” what it was in the first place.

Overall, the film was an enjoyable watch, but it’s definitely not flawless. The performances, visuals, and music are highlights, but the film’s pacing, controversy, and overly modernized approach makes it feel almost distant from what it was initially made to be. It’s worth a watch to see Zegler and Gadot’s chemistry, but otherwise, it could easily be skipped in the live-action Disney lineup.