I am not going to bury the lede: the live-action adaptation of 1937’s Snow White is not good. As with my critic peers, I witnessed an absolute dogpile in the months leading up to its release – from Rachel Zegler’s press snafus to debates over the CGI dwarves. My cynical take on the recent positive reviews is that they stem more from resistance to the hate train than from the movie’s objective quality.
The best part of Snow White is Rachel Zegler’s vocals. Though she has been at the center of the negative discourse, her vocal talents command both ballads and effervescent songs with equal measure. Unfortunately, Zegler’s acting chops have never clicked with me, and Snow White is no exception. Her dramatic abilities feel effortful, while any emotional depth flatlines.
On Gal Gadot, I was aghast at her casting. Not only do I consider her one of the most one-dimensional actresses in recent memory (a fact further emphasized in this movie), but they had her sing not one, but two musical numbers. Given the Tony-level vocal talent across the cast, Gadot’s inclusion felt like a huge misfire. Simply put: she cannot sing.
The movie also feels like a battle between two sensibilities. At times, Snow White closely follows its animated source material, only to veer off course in both story and production design. I would not be surprised if Greta Gerwig (an uncredited writer) helped inspire Princess Problems, a new original song that attempts to subvert princess tropes, but any further commentary is abandoned in the rest of the film.
Further, I was initially delighted by the fantastical production design and saturated vibrance, but the film then jarringly shifts to a shockingly flat and muted aesthetic (e.g. the forest vagabond scenes). As for the should they/shouldn’t they debate over CGI dwarves: I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either.
In the end, I am tired of Disney’s bad-to-just-okay live-action adaptations, Snow White now included. With Lilo & Stitch and Moana still to come this year – and more remakes in development – it seems like there’s no stopping the House of Mouse on this unfortunate trajectory.
