Director: Marc Webb
Cast: Rachel Zegler, Andrew Burnap, Gal Gadot
Screenplay: Erin Cressida Wilson
109 mins. Rated PG for violence, some peril, thematic elements and brief rude humor.

There’s the foolish belief that the new Snow White is controversial, but I happen to think that’s mostly relegated to angry people on social media (in fact, some of them may find this review in hopes that I’m here to trash it). Do you know what I saw at my screening of the film last night? I saw a lot of really excited and joyful children all entertained by the new Disney take on the classic tale. The movie’s target audience is going to love it, and it should also work for parents and other moviegoers looking for a little magic at the movies.

The film tells the story of Snow White (Rachel Zegler, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes), born during a horrible blizzard to a loving King & Queen. After the loss of her mother, the King remarries to an Evil Queen (Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman) and then goes missing himself due to the Queen’s treachery. Snow White is quickly tucked away within the castle walls to spend her years cleaning until a chance near-death brings her into contact with Seven Dwarfs, a band of rebels, and a chance to free her kingdom from the Queen’s tyranny.

This new Snow White makes a number of smart choices that previous live-action Disney remakes have faltered with. The screenplay, from Erin Cressida Wilson (Secretary), features extra backstory that at least justifies the film’s existence by expanding upon Snow White’s early years. There are also a number of new songs that didn’t feel out of place alongside Hi Ho and Whistle While You Work (though I wasn’t all that impressed with the choreography of the musical numbers). Plus, director Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer) correctly worked with the visual effects team to make animal friends that are more of a mixture between realistic and magical. Some Disney live-action fare (looking at you, Lion King) aimed for more realism in its animals to the detriment of the film’s emotional elements. With Snow White, I grinned with glee when the young fawn appeared, big eyed and adorable. The squirrels have personality. I think that giving the animal friends more personality reminds us that, yes, we are in a fairy tale.

Rachel Zegler stands out in the lead role with a likable personality and a warmth and kindness to her portrayal of Snow White. It doesn’t hurt that she can sing and dance, but I was impressed with her ability to work within the heavily-CG environment. Her time with the Seven Dwarfs featured some nice chemistry, and part of that can also be attributed to the voice work of the Dwarfs, specifically Doc (voiced by Ted Lasso’s Jeremy Swift) and Grumpy (voiced by Martin Klebba).

I was pretty concerned after seeing the Dwarfs in the trailer, where they appeared unfinished and a bit like living marshmallows, but within the finished product, they looked better than expected, after a few moments of getting used to them. I wish enough time was spent with them to make them stand out from each other, visually. Outside of the aforementioned Doc, Grumpy, and also Dopey, the other four kind of mix together. There’s just a lack of screen time dedicated to them, and they disappear for a good chunk of the run time.

Unfortunately, Gal Gadot simply does not work as the Evil Queen. Her performance consists of raising her voice whenever she wishes to be menacing, and it’s a rather wooden take on the Queen, very one-note. Part of this comes from the screenplay which, as I mentioned, adds some extra story elements to Snow White’s character but almost forgets to develop the Queen at all, but I think the performance is so mustache-twirling that it grinds the film’s momentum to a halt until we move onto other characters.

Snow White is never as good as the original 1937 film (nor does it have to be), but it’s far from the disaster that some on social media (who have yet to see the film) would have you believe. It has a strong lead performance, some fun CG characters, great production design and costumes, a proper horror sequences in the woods, and a nice message for children, especially in our current times. That being said, its villain is weak, and we spend too little time with the Dwarfs. Webb’s film also assumes that its viewers know the story and glosses over development of some fantasy elements involving the Queen’s power and true love’s kiss. All that aside, it’s a warm and fun little fantasy film that hits more than it misses, and it should make for a nice time at the movies.

3/5
-Kyle A. Goethe

For my review of Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man, click here.
For my review of Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, click here.