The tale of “Snow White” has been told in many adaptations throughout time. No matter what, the subjects of a poisonous apple, a group of dwarfs and who is truly the fairest of them all is consistent in any version of the story. Disney’s 2025 version of “Snow White” resurrects the story to a different degree but grounds itself on the roots which make this movie magical.
“Snow White” is both a remake of the 1939 Disney movie “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” and a retelling of the original fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. This version was directed by Marc Webb that stars Rachel Zegler as ”Snow White,” Gal Gadot as the “Evil Queen” and Andrew Burnap as the love interest “Jonathan.”
The plot revolves on Snow White working with the Seven Dwarfs along with Jonathan and his team of bandits to free her kingdom from the control of the Evil Queen.
As this film is a live-action remake, much remains in the vein of the original Disney adaptation in its storyline with a few changes. Moments such as when Sleepy the dwarf nearly swallows a fly is switched with fellow dwarf Dopey swallowing a firefly, which lights up his eyes for comedic effect.
One of the most visually stunning sequences is in the introduction of the Seven Dwarves. Their song, “Heigh-Ho” is performed as they walk in line and travel to work in the mines. As this happens, we go from a warm and sunny forest scenery to a warmly lit cave full of various colorful minerals. In transitioning from one setting to another, they board a mining cart where after pulling a lever, they are transported into the cave. Each dwarf’s personality is shown as they interact with their setting as well as each other and the cavernous spectacle is something with a potential to be shown off as a ride in a Disney attraction.
The soundtrack is a mixture of a modern orchestral score along with contemporary musical and old school sounds. This comes as songs like “Heigh-Ho” stick to an eight-note rhythm that is known in a lot of music from the past such as in classic country tunes and in any music that came out around the time of classic Disney films. “Whistle While You Work” grounds itself in the same rhythm that is elevated into further upbeat catchiness with its orchestral string backing and whistling from the characters in the track.
“All Is Fair” is sung by the Evil Queen in an orchestral and choral waltz rhythm. In it, she declares with royal conviction that she is indeed the fairest of all and nothing will stop her from reaching that goal. The romantic tune “A Hand Meets A Hand” is all in all beautiful due to the harmonies from both Zegler and Burnap.
While this movie is visually great in its setting, special effects and outfits, there are two visual bumps in the road so to speak. One is of course, the design of the Seven Dwarfs. It takes some time to get used to the design as their expressions and form reach the point of uncanny, which is especially noticeable when Snow White and the rest of the human characters interact with them. While they do resemble their appearance from the original animated adaptation, it doesn’t translate into reality as well as it should’ve.
The latter is Snow White’s dress. The Evil Queen’s outfit is intricately designed, with shades of purple and green in triangle shapes on her robes, square glass jewelry and a stained glass style crown. In the Evil Queen’s palace, her green and purple outfit has a shiny, almost sequin black appearance due to the gold walls and candle lighting. In comparison, while Snow White does wear the recognizable blue and gold dress, it comes off as having the appearance of a cheap Halloween costume rather than having the precious princess sparkle that it’s known for.
A memorable quote comes when Snow White receives a necklace from her father, the king. The necklace is a silver heart with four words engraved on it which say “Fearless,” “Fair,” “Brave” and “True.” These words compose the main themes of the movie.
She remains fair and truthful such as when she acknowledges Grumpy’s necessity to keep things in order which leads to the Seven Dwarfs working together and fixing the mess that was caused after fighting amongst themselves. Additionally truth extends to one’s self as despite being under the rule of the Evil Queen, Snow White is able to unite the townsfolk by remembering their names and lives in the past.
While it’s a conflict of who is the “fairest of them all,” Snow White knows her beauty but doesn’t take it to the egotistical toxic extremity which the Evil Queen prides herself with.
Even with the love interest presented in the film, Snow White doesn’t rely on him to get things done, as how her journey through the story progresses is reliant on her actions and decisions. Staying true to one’s self is the key in this movie.
“Snow White” is in theaters Friday, March 21.
Copy edited by Manuel Nocera
