‘Snow White’ Movie Review: Not Even True Love’s Kiss Can Wake You From This Snooze-Fest Starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot (LatestLY Exclusive)

Snow White Movie Review: At what point will Disney decide enough is enough with these so-called live-action remakes that aren’t even truly live-action? If adults were bored five movies ago, even kids are now feeling the fatigue. During my screening of Disney’s latest live-action remake attempt, Snow White, the child to my left was glued to his phone, while the little one behind me grew so restless she started bawling to leave the cinema. For once, I wasn’t irritated by them - or their parents. I was annoyed with the filmmakers for subjecting these kids to such a tedious movie. ‘Snow White’ Review: ‘Will Put You To Sleep’! Critics Aren’t Enamoured by Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot’s Live-Action Remake of Disney Animated Classic.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall... who’s getting bored by this all?"

Never mind answering that, mirror - it’s a rhetorical question.

Now, let’s talk about this so-called 'live-action' element. The fairytale has seen countless adaptations over the years - both live-action and animated. But when I say live-action, I don’t mean this hybrid mess where actual humans are pitted against CGI-created dwarves, creating a jarring contrast that looks so odd on screen. Or make the environment look more like a lavish stage play than a believable location.

Honestly, everything feels so artificial here that Gal Gadot's plastic performance fits perfectly well (while I tried to forget how this role was once played by Sigourney Weaver, Julia Roberts and Charlize Theron in different adaptations). Someone please send Marc Webb back to making films like (500) Days of Summer - that’s what we need right now, not soulless fairy tale adaptations crammed with sneaky political messages that no American would care about, especially when their current President is already too obvious for satire. ‘Moana 2’ Movie Review: Despite Its Gorgeous Visuals, Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson’s Animated Sequel Feels Lost at Sea This Time!

'Snow White' Movie Review - The Plot

You know the plot: Snow White (Rachel Zegler) is a poor orphaned princess trapped in her castle by her evil stepmother, the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot). Snow White is a kind soul who cares for her subjects but is forced to do menial chores around the castle. The Evil Queen has a magic mirror, to which she repeatedly asks, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” And, of course, she always gets a self-validating answer.

Watch the Trailer of 'Snow White':

One day, after Snow White rescues a thief named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap, who reminded me of a cross between KJ Apa from Riverdale and Charlie Cox from Stardust), the jerk of a mirror changes its tune and declares Snow White the fairest. Enraged, the Evil Queen orders the Huntsman (Ansu Kabia) to kill Snow White, but she escapes and stumbles upon the house of the CGI dwarves.

'Snow White' Movie Review - The Changes

Here’s where the plot shifts - not drastically, but enough to notice. Instead of sticking faithfully to the animated classic, the remake introduces some changes. For instance, Prince Charming is replaced by Jonathan, who leads a group of seven bandits (including himself). While I don’t mind tweaking characters to enhance the love story, the other changes feel half-baked and inconsistent.

Let’s start with Snow White herself. She’s far more assertive here than in the animated classic, especially in her interactions with the bandits and during the final act. Yet, she’s also naive enough to fall for the poisoned apple trick from a creepy old woman. The film attempts something different by introducing the bandits, with Snow White rallying them to save the kingdom. But aside from Jonathan, the bandits have zero character development - I’d bet a 100 bucks you couldn’t name them without checking Wikipedia. The changes ultimately feel pointless when the movie reverts to the classic poisoned apple and true love’s kiss trope.

'Snow White' Movie Review - A Film That Took a Bite of Evil Queen's Poisoned Apple

However, the film’s biggest flaw isn’t the garish CGI dwarves or the inconsistent plot elements - it’s how utterly boring it is. The opening scenes in the castle, depicting the Evil Queen’s grip on the kingdom and Snow White’s plight, are initially engaging. But the momentum nosedives once the dwarves appear and flatlines entirely when Snow White encounters the uninspired bandits.

Everything moves mechanically as if Webb was racing through a checklist of fairytale story beats - alongside studio-mandated attempts to make the film more, ah... modern - without ever allowing the audience to connect with the characters. Even key moments, such as Snow White’s poisoning and subsequent revival, are so rushed that they feel as artificial as the fake tears dripping down Dopey’s fake face.

The only sparks of life come from the Evil Queen who delivers two songs about her evilness, while everything else wilts around her, including a conveniently written finale where Snow White stages a nearly non-violent coup.

As for the music, not a single song leaves an impression. I felt bad for Rachel Zegler - she’s likable and undeniably expressive when she sings, but it’s hard to ignore that she’s essentially doing the same shtick since her breakout role in the West Side Story remake. ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Movie Review: Barry Jenkins’ Origin Story for Simba’s Dead Dad Doesn’t Get To Roar Enough!

There’s been chatter about Gal Gadot being miscast as the Evil Queen. I disagree. Sure, her attempts to be evil come off as awkwardly funny at times, but she’s perfectly cast as an evil woman who usurps a kingdom and then gets annoyed when the rightful heir tries to reclaim it. Think about it...

'Snow White' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Snow White is a remake caught in an identity crisis - torn between honouring its animated roots and forging a new path, yet failing to do justice to either. The jarring CGI, lacklustre plot changes, and forgettable music make it a slog to sit through, even for the most patient viewer. Rachel Zegler does her best to inject life into the film with her beautiful voice, but she is let down by a script as artificial as the embarrassingly fake dwarves. Snow White may have been awakened from her deep slumber, but the audience wasn’t.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 21, 2025 09:50 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).