'Snow White' Review: No Disaster, But No Fun Either
Disney has brought yet another live-action version of one of their classic, beloved stories to the silver screen in snow white, a re-imagining that, like its predecessors, fails to re-capture the magic of its animated counterpart.
This live-action adaptation of the revered Disney tale tells the story of a young princess named Snow White (Rachel Zegler) who joins forces with thieves and seven dwarfs to liberate her kingdom from an evil queen (Gal Gadot). While the plot may veer occasionally from the traditional story, fans of the original will find many familiar elements and re-creations here, albeit underwhelming ones that will make them yearn for the animated story.
Shockingly, this live-action adaptation isn’t the train wreck many thought it would be given the controversies and shakeups behind the scenes. First and foremost, Zegler makes for an excellent Snow White, imbuing the character with her essential spirit, heart, and charm with effortless ease. Her singing voice remains impeccable and is wonderfully suited for the character and it’s clear from her first frame that she is genuinely enjoying playing the part, giving every vocal and performative flourish she can to do the character justice. Even when the film begins to falter and overstay its welcome, Zegler always remains captivating to watch as she keeps the film afloat.
Director Mark Webb also thankfully doesn’t phone this one in. He was an inspired choice to direct the film and he helps give this familiar story life and energy, especially during the musical sequences which occasionally have a nice visual pop thanks to his dynamic direction and camerawork. The film also looks quite stunning here and there, the production design blending seamlessly with the CGI backdrops and extensions. In another director’s hands, this film could’ve been visually muted and lifeless, but Webb makes sure to remind audiences this is a Disney film and a colorful one at that. When the film embraces the fun of the source material, that’s when it begins to take shape and shine. Unfortunately, those moments are few and far between.
One of the glaring flaws of this adaptation is the casting of Gadot as the evil queen. While she may look the part of the sinister character, her performance is embarrassingly over the top. Her line deliveries are occasionally laughable and her choices for the character never feel consistent. One minute she’s trying to be malevolent and intimidating and the next it feels like she’s performing in a goofy Broadway show. Not to mention, her singing voice leaves quite a bit to be desired, the musical numbers involving her character falling to the ground with an audible thud. Simply put, when she’s on screen, the film screeches to a halt and the quality noticeably dips.
Speaking of underwhelming supporting characters, there’s Snow White’s love interest Jonathan (Andrew Burnap). The love story in this story is obviously an essential and crucial element, but it’s handled poorly here. Not only do Burnap and Zegler have very little chemistry, but their love story feels forced and rushed, making the inevitable trajectory of the story all the more disappointing. Then there’s the dwarfs, who have had their own share of controversies when it comes to their look and casting. The final product here is what many have expected, grotesque and uncanny nightmare fuel. The digital re-creations of these characters look awful, taking the viewer out of the experience whenever they happen to be on screen. While their personalities and the game performances from the voice cast here work, the visual look of the dwarfs prevents that needed emotional connection from taking place. They feel disjointed from their surroundings and the overall film, paling severely in comparison to the classic animated versions of these characters.
The film is also far too long, clocking in at nearly two hours, nearly a half hour longer than the original animated film. It’s clear the creative team was trying to stretch this story out for as long as they could, but every added minute is unfortunately felt and feels wholly unnecessary in order to tell this simply tale. However, the most glaring issue the film has, an issue the vast majority of Disney’s live-action adaptations have had, is the lack of magic. Not once was there an ounce of that classic Disney magic that has made so many of their classic films staples in the lives of so many. The film may be colorful and vibrant, but it ultimately feels hollow and devoid of that special ingredient.
Snow White could’ve been far worse than it is, but that’s not much of a compliment at the end of the day. While it may have some redeeming qualities and deviations from the original story, this live-action remake fails to re-capture the magic and entertainment value of the animated film. While this live-action train seems to still be full steam ahead for Disney, it’s clear at this point that someone should slam the brakes before things get even uglier.