“Snow White” (2025) is the live action adaptation of the animated film, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937), which also adapts the Brothers’ Grimm 1812 fairy tale. Snow White (Rachel Zegler) is born in a kingdom founded on the principle of fairness, but after her mother, the Good Queen (Lorena Andrea) dies, and her father, the Good King (Hadley Fraser), goes off to a fight a war at the behest of his beautiful new wife, fear falls over the kingdom, and fascism enslaves the people to the kingdom. After the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) becomes enraged that the Magic Mirror no longer considers her the fairest of them all as Snow White tries to reintroduce justice and fairness to the land, the Evil Queen tries to assassinate her stepdaughter, but Snow White escapes. Will she find the person who can restore the kingdom to the people?
If you are not too attached to the original and are prepared for a reimagining of the classic, you will love “Snow White.” Zegler is the perfect Snow White. Her transformation from beloved princess to cowed servant then resolute peaceful resister and restorer provides a resounding image of resistance that will instill good, wholesome values in children about the importance of being brave when facing insurmountable odds. Snow White is someone who begins looking to others to do something then becomes the person who does something in the face of evil. If a tiny princess and adorable woodland creatures can stand up for what is fair, what is our excuse? At last, a musical where the protagonist can sing (and I’m not forgetting about “Wicked,” but that does not count because they are professional singers!) She already proved herself in “West Side Story” (2021) and “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” (2023), but she had to share the spotlight or was in a supporting though memorable role. While detractors who disagree with her off screen personal views probably will not admit it, she proved that she could carry a blockbuster on her shoulders and make it an instant classic.
Gadot departs from her customary onscreen good guy roles like Wonder Woman, and it mostly works because of the beautiful gowns. Because the Evil Queen is the villain, Gadot’s vocal cadence is less of an obstacle when delivering her lines straight, but she is always a bit too measured to sound natural. Her singing felt a little rushed, but her imposing body language and sharp staccato movements evoked the sharpness of knives. Costume designer Sandy Powell had a field day bringing to life the impossibly elegant and tenebrous wardrobe of the iconic villain with inventive touches that occasionally departed from the black and purple with tones of green and blue like a peacock. There are multiple wardrobe changes, but because the gown’s lines are similar, eagle-eyed observers will have to note the color, especially of the lining, to notice the difference. Interestingly, Gadot was at her best when she is in disguise under layers of makeup as an older woman in the woods, which is unusual because most actors feel unable to be expressive under similar conditions.
Instead of a prince, “Snow White” offers Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), a Robin Hood figure who is more interested in survival than redistributing purloined wealth to the people. While Burnap is no Jonathan Bailey, his role is crucial to the development of Snow White as the first person who awakens her to the dire situation (“stop thinking and start doing”) that the people are facing and starts her on her hero’s journey (Joseph Campbell shout out). While the chemistry is not palpable, it is cute and sufficient.
Director Marc Webb squeezes moviegoers’ hearts and never lets up. History has been merciful to Webb, who is best known for Sony’s once maligned “Spider-Man” franchise, which nostalgia redeemed and worse comic book movies made retroactively better. From the adorable CGI animals, who also serve a little sass with head tilts in reaction to Snow White’s naivete, to the visual themes of fear in the dark woods that eventually brighten and become hopeful, it is impossible to not let the film take you on an emotional journey of hope and possibility. Instead of a story about some chick holed up in the woods serving a group of men and hiding, “Snow White” becomes a story of learning the craft of leading people to become their best selves starting with the seven dwarfs (isn’t it dwarves?) and creating a functional, joyous community. The CGI for the dwarfs is probably the weakest part of the movie, but the storyline pays off, especially Dopey (Andrew Barth Feldman for the voice and Jaih Betote as the motion capture actor). Once she gets them to clean up their own act, she expands to Jonathan’s merry band of thieves who fight in the king’s name but not in his spirit and teaches them to become selfless. The principle of governance becomes quotidian, accessible and simple.
Give all the flowers to writer Erin Cressida Wilson and new songwriters Benji Pasek and Justin Paul. Their reimagining of the story is so deft that by the time the impact of a theme is felt, it retroactively feels obvious and simultaneously like an epiphany. Reconceiving fairness into a collective concept of sharing and goodness in civil action is such good timing. It is currently a radical concept that the government and the people can be mutually beneficial and in harmony. One example of how they reframe the fairy tale is the significance of the apple, which becomes a symbol of that early era and later gets perverted when the Evil Queen disguises herself to kill her rival. It retroactively makes that aspect of the story more textured by showing how corruption affects people on the ground by perverting standing symbols of goodness. There are plenty of casual moments that later play a pivotal role in Snow White’s campaign to help people remember a time when the land was theirs.
Besides the dwarf CGI, the story has few flaws. Snow White says farewell to her new friends so many times, but she never leaves. The merry band is not individuated except for Quigg (George Appleby), who has a terrific long running gag. The same criticism can be applied to the people in Snow White’s kingdom. One of the princess’ contemporaries, Lonely Girl (Zoe Athena), does not have a name, but she carries around a garland crown as if she met Snow White yesterday. It is a conscious point in “Snow White,” which pays off, but noticeable in the opening scene.
Live-action films of animated classics can be hit or miss. Disney has made a fresh film without sacrificing what made the original into a beloved childhood favorite. For those raised during the peak Disney musical nineties era with “Beauty and the Beast” (1991), “Aladdin” (1992), “The Lion King” (1994), “Pocahontas” (1995) and “Mulan” (1998), “Snow White” elevates the 1937 film to that level of excellence and blows the original out of the water. Even if you feel dead inside, you may find yourself tempted to shed a tear. The best propaganda sweeps you away with emotion. Add this film to the list of movies that teaches moviegoers how to survive and resist fascism through communing with nature, creating community and treating power like a pipe to be shared, not a bank to be hoarded.
