Snow White (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – Live-action adaptation of the 1937 Disney animated film ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’.

My Take – With their live-action remakes going full steam ahead, despite staggering critical reception, it is surprising that it has taken Disney this long to return to one of its most iconic properties, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Their first feature-length animated film, which not only completely changed the possibilities for the studio, but created film history by teasing the scales animation could reach.

Though the property, which itself is based on the 1812 fairy tale “Snow White” by the Brothers Grimm, has been the subject of many iterations over the years, most famously in the form of revisionist-lite 2012 releases such as the genuinely fun yet under-seen ‘Mirror Mirror‘ and the dark, more action heavy but bland ‘Snow White and the Huntsman‘, 88 years later the popularity of the magical masterpiece, that launched the Disney princess legacy, undoubtedly still remains high.

Directed by Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man, 500 Days of Summer), the re-imagining clearly aimed to blend traditional fairy-tale wonder with a modern sensibility. And while the end result is no way close to the disaster its ongoing controversies was making it out to be, like its counterparts, it too falls short of being anything refreshing or relevant.

Sure, it takes a few bold steps, but the story often feels disjointed, jumping between whimsical musical numbers and darker, more grounded emotional moments that too without a smooth narrative flow.

Yes, the production design is top-tier and unlike what most initially perceived Rachel Zegler is outstanding in the lead role & her vocal performance really elevates the material. But, in its effort to please everyone, it ends up adopting an inconsistent tone with writer Cressida Wilson‘s aimless script struggling to match it.

Nevertheless, its core audience: kids and those curious about this new version of the familiar tale, will be impressed. It’s decent just not memorable.

The story follows princess Snow White (Rachel Zegler), who lives in a colorful kingdom on the edge of a forest, where happiness once flourished under rule of the benevolent King (Hadley Fraser) and Queen (Lorena Andrea). But once the queen died, the king hastily remarried a mysterious woman (Gal Gadot) and left to mount a campaign against an imminent threat to the realm’s southern borders, never to return.

In his absence, the new queen usurps the throne, revealing herself to be an enchantress whose vanity surpasses her beauty. In the following years, under the evil queen’s rule, people are either left destitute due to heavy taxation or conscripted into the royal guard. Even Snow White is presumed dead, with everyone unaware that she is confined to the palace as a scullery maid.

But when the queen’s magical mirror informs her that her detested stepdaughter is “the fairest one of all,” the icy narcissist orders her Huntsman (Ansu Kabia) to take the young woman deep into the woods, kill her and bring back her heart. However, experiencing Snow White’s kindness, the Huntsman is unable to fulfill the task; instead, he warns her of the Evil Queen’s intentions and urges her to flee deep into the forest.

And while she is lost and frightened at first, soon enough Snow White makes friends with seven mystical creatures, who provide shelter in their reclusive cottage, and is reintroduced to Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), a rebel & thief who along with his set of bandits defy the evil queen’s monarchy.

So when the queen discovers that Snow White is still alive, she orders her guards to find her. Forcing the young princess to find the courage to be a leader for her people, capable of following in her noble father’s footsteps and end the evil queen’s reign of fear over the kingdom.

Here, writer Wilson’s screenplay sticks to what most of the live action remakes have done: telling the original almost beat for beat, but with an attempted extra layer of depth to everyone involved. In this case, Snow White is not named after her skin color but because she weathered a snowstorm as she was delivered. In this modern retelling, fairness refers to impartiality and justice, not complexion. And, the princess is driven by a desire to save her kingdom and its people, rather than waiting for a man to come and rescue her.

Politically and conceptually, Disney gets it right with the live-action adaptation, making it abundantly clear that princess stories are no longer about damsels in distress. Even when she meets the mythical creatures (the original seven dwarfs) who’ve lived for 274 years, she doesn’t bargain for shelter by cooking and cleaning, but instead makes them whistle and clean their house themselves, adding an impressive twist to the iconic “Whistle While You Work” song. Perhaps, the most significant change of all is the character of Jonathan, who is not a prince, but instead a conniving bandit/rebel.

Visually too, the film is stunning. From the magic mirror to the mystical forest Snow White wanders through, every frame is a feast for the eyes. The production design successfully captures the fairy-tale atmosphere, with vibrant costumes, detailed sets, and impressive CGI elements.

Sadly, for all its visual flair, the film struggles to leave an impact. One of the film’s biggest issues lies in its screenplay. In its attempt to modernize the story while honoring its legacy the script ends up faltering in execution, leaving us with a bland narrative that feels unnecessarily caught up between two eras. The dwarfs, for instance, have been re-imagined in a more inclusive light, though they are still fun to watch, this change proves to be divisive.

Even new songs written by Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, simply get the job done. Agreed, a song or two may stand out, but the rest blur together, making it hard to differentiate one from another. Indeed, the message of kindness, empathy and collectivism is so genuinely expressed that it does feel significant, and the film’s heart is in the right place. Only if it hadn’t jumbled its tones and styles atop this basic treatment.

Performance wise, Rachel Zegler, who takes on the enormous responsibility of portraying one of Disney’s most recognizable characters, embodies the titular character with a sweet and gentle spirit. While her casting drew enough online controversy, her portrayal proves she was a solid choice for the role because when she sings she gives her musical numbers a strength that is found nowhere else.

On the other end, Gal Gadot is more of a mixed bag. Her villain is grandiose, over-the-top, and at times enjoyable to watch, but her performance feels more theatrical than terrifying. Andrew Burnap shows promising screen presence and adds weight to a limited character. On the whole, ‘Snow White‘ is a visually dazzling but underwhelming Disney remake that lacks the necessary magic.