‘Snow White’ review: Fair enough

Snow White is the latest live-action remake of a Disney classic, but all of its wonder and whimsy can’t hide its hollow heart.

“Why?”

That’s the question I found myself asking throughout Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White. Now that question expanded into various formats. As the titular princess cheerfully frolicked through an apple orchard, I thought, “Why does every aspect of this magical spread look faker than any video game cutscene?” Then as the movie rolls out the iconic “Heigh-Ho” musical number, I wondered, “Why did the VFX team make the Seven Dwarves look like variations of the kid on the Mad Magazine covers?” When the Evil Queen starts strutting to a song just for her, I asked, “Why did no one teach Gal Gadot how to match her facial expressions with her singing voice?” All of those alterations to the initial question can probably be lumped together into a more specific thought: “Why is none of this working?”

The new Snow White certainly has a lot of things that should make it a charming, breezy, heartwarming adventure. There’s the simple story based on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tale, originally adapted by Disney in 1937 and left mostly unchanged this time around by writer Erin Cressida Wilson (Secretary, The Girl on the Train). Helming it is director Marc Webb, who’s proven to make charming movies before with (500) Days of Summer (though less should be said about his take on The Amazing Spider-Man). Standing in front of Webb’s camera are two capable stars: rising star Rachel Ziegler (West Side Story) as the titular chipper princess and established starlet Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) as the villainous ruler obsessed with her own beauty. There’s lavish sets (some real and some digital), flashy costumes, and upbeat songs about being kind and being hopeful for the future. It’s all there, and yet…

Missing the magic.

It’s been 10 years since Disney rolled out the Kenneth Branagh-directed Cinderella, which kicked-off a run of other live-action remakes including The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and others. Most of these newer models have changes for the modern generation (more songs, new character arcs), but don’t want to sully the original for the people who saw the old then and are taking their kids to the new now. That formula (or business model) may have been financially successful, but the movies often leave a bland aftertaste. And it comes back to the question: Why? We’ve seen the magic of these exact Disney movies before, why is it being served to us reheated on a fancier plate?

Snow White is no different. Most of the movie takes place in front of either green screen backdrops or sets with dour color saturation for the sake of misguided “realism.” The costumes look extravagant (especially on the Evil Queen), but the detail in them don’t stand out in live-action as well as they do in animation. The extended 109-minute runtime has nothing to show for it, except for some forgettable new musical numbers and a backstory on Snow White’s token prince. And while the CGI dwarves don’t look entirely off-putting (at least not up close), their digital sheen doesn’t create a sense of awe. There’s plenty of effort on display, especially in the choreography of the musical numbers. Still, all the glossy looks and child-friendly wonderment are already prevalent in the original Snow White, along with countless other kids movies. Whatever magic the story once had dissipates in this new live-action format.

A tale of two stars.

If there is one truly magical element in Snow White, it’s Rachel Zegler. After testing her comedy chops with last year’s Y2K, Zegler is back in a cinema setting where she thrives. Her voice has just the right amount of flutter and control to make classics like “Whistle While You Work” feel alive again. Bless her heart for not phoning in the newer songs either, even if “Waiting On A Wish” sounds suspiciously like the theme from Dawson’s Creek. Zegler nails the unwavering kindness required for Snow White without ever winking at the audience or adding some unnecessary modern coolness. She knows Snow White is an old story requiring a simpler way of looking at the world. But again, her commitment to playing an old-school Disney princess makes the computer-generated gloss around her feel all the more fake.

And then there’s Gal Gadot. Critics often note Gadot’s wooden delivery of most of her lines and her vocal emphasis on random moments has made rounds online. But make no mistake, her take on the Evil Queen is her worst performance to date. What’s so fascinating about this role is that it highlights how Gadot “should” have everything needed to be a movie star. She’s undoubtedly gorgeous, has a powerful poise from her Wonder Woman days, and has stylish costume designers making her look even more like a goddess…and then she starts talking and it all falls apart. Nearly every vocal inflection from Gadot is wrong, underselling the campiness that a role literally named “Evil Queen” would afford. The awkward way she raises her voice in the middle of sentences before sliding back into a boring droll is so off-putting, the only thing to compare it to is Tommy Wiseau in The Room.

The bottom line.

If I had a wish, it would be for Disney’s decade-long live-action remake experiment to end with Snow White. That seems to be the case, as the money-hungry juggernaut is pivoting to sequels of their recent hit animated features. Still, the new Snow White is a sign that this method of taking animated classics and draining them of their wonder has run out of gas. Not even the brightest young star in full Disney princess mode can save a story that’s been done to death and warped with the wrong modern movie technology. Maybe someone the next Disney renaissance will come. We can only hope. Or wish.

Snow White is now playing in theaters everywhere. Watch the trailer here.

Images courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures. Read more reviews by Jon Winkler here.

Jon Winkler