Since Disney announced its live-action “Snow White” remake, the film has sparked plenty of debate for controversies involving its cast. Released March 21, the film reimagines the 1937 animation “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” with plot tweaks to adapt the film for a modern audience. Snow White (Rachel Zegler) is granted a more active personality and goal: to defeat the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) and help the people in her kingdom. These changes are commendable and work well in theory, but are ultimately undermined by lackluster performances, overuse of nightmare-inducing CGI and a lack of depth.
Zegler’s performance is the only thing that saves this film from being truly dismal. Zegler brings depth to Snow White, crafting an active character with varying levels and moods that keep the audience’s attention fixed on her throughout the film. Unsurprisingly, her vocals are phenomenal. She sings the role with more belt and power than Adriana Caselotti, the Snow White actress in the 1937 film, which is certainly a risk. However, it pays off and fits with her character’s newfound strength.
Conversely, Zegler’s co-star Gadot’s performance falls flat as she plays a one-note Evil Queen. She delivers each line without variation, stripping her character of the emotional depth necessary to make her interesting. Her Evil Queen and Zegler’s Snow White are so disproportionately performed they don’t even feel like they belong in the same film. Gadot’s song “All Is Fair” is vocally abysmal and should have been left on the cutting room floor.
The most frustrating part of “Snow White” is the overreliance on CGI, which was used to create the seven dwarfs instead of hiring actors. Disney decided to use CGI after actor Peter Dinklage said the story’s portrayal of little people was stereotypical and outdated. The choice to use CGI seemingly aims to avoid the issue altogether yet severely misses the mark as it takes work away from actors with dwarfism. This was a massive missed opportunity, especially considering the film is branded to be live-action. It would have been somewhat acceptable had the dwarfs at least looked decent, like Snow White’s adorable animal helpers do, but instead they were simply terrifying. Plus, the CGI distracts and pulls audiences out of the world the film constructs, an oversight when these seven characters fill a vast majority of the film’s screen time.
One of the film’s plot changes involves a new character, Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who replaces the prince’s role. Jonathan is a Robin Hood who has replaced the character of the prince. Jonathan first meets Snow White when he steals food from the Evil Queen’s castle, a theft he promptly gets punished for. They find each other again in the woods, where Jonathan sings “Princess Problems,” a lighthearted song challenging Snow White to face her privilege. Their dynamic is built on argumentative yet playful banter which quickly blossoms into romance, and this relationship is far more developed compared to the original film. However, the tail end of their romance feels rushed as they jump from casual flirting to confessing their love to one another in a duet. Still, it’s certainly a high point in the film and is heart warming.
Coming off of the immense success of “Wicked,” expectations are high when it comes to the film’s music. Some songs are complete hits, with “Whistle While You Work” cheerfully calling back to the original film while still feeling fresh and “Princess Problems” nicely balancing the original style and the new plot themes. “Good Things Grow” is catchy and sets up the kingdom’s community well. But the Evil Queen’s “All Is Fair” pales in comparison to classic Disney villain power songs, and Snow White and Jonathan’s duet “A Hand Meets A Hand” feels stale and lacks the romantic depth the film calls for.
While Disney live-action remakes don’t have the greatest reputation, “Snow White” still manages to disappoint. The plot changes provide necessary modifications given the modern audience, while still paying homage to the original film. Certain aspects — like Snow White and Jonathan’s relationship — still felt underdeveloped. Zegler shines in her role, however it’s hard for her to truly lead a film when she has to contend with Gadot’s boring Evil Queen or spine-chilling CGI dwarfs.
Contact Skylar Boilard at [email protected].