What to Watch This Weekend – Snow White

Snow White is the story of a young woman realizing her duty. In a far-off land there exists a magical kingdom, once ruled kindly by a king and queen. During a winter storm, they give birth to a princess. She is named Snow White (Rachel Zegler) to mark the occasion. Unfortunately, Snow White’s parents fall into tragedy when she is a young girl. First, her mother passes away unexpectedly. Soon after, Snow White’s father remarries a visiting stranger (Gal Gadot) but he himself mysteriously disappears. The Queen/Snow White’s stepmother takes advantage of the power vacuum and claims the throne for her own. Under her rule, the Queen instills fear in her subjects and locks away Snow White in the castle. However, when the Queen begins to suspect that Snow White might be a threat, she orders her death forcing the princess to flee into the nearby forest.

What works in Snow White is the playfulness and thoughtful upgrades to the source material. Zegler brings buoyant energy to Snow White that is immediately infectious. She has an endless supply of optimism and positivity that is impossible not to love. This helps considerably during her musical numbers—a mix of old and new—that feel bright and cheerful. Speaking of bright, a notably quality of this remake are the costumes and set design. The creative team does an excellent job using these devices to convey the mood and tone. For example, when the benevolent rulers sit upon the throne, the townsfolk dress in lively eye-catching colors. When the Evil Queen reigns, the world turns drab and bleak. All-in-all, a clear amount of thought and consideration went into the visualizations.

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Audiences who are exhausted with live-action Disney remakes, or purists who don’t favor modernization, may not enjoy Snow White as much as others. While the core story is similar to the 1937 animated classic, fans will undoubtedly spot multiple differences. These often center around updates to antiquated themes or messages. How much these changes contribute to strengthening the story or narrative is up for debate. As such, people may be wondering how this particular iteration justifies its existence. Finally, while Zegler is a delight the rest of the cast is shakier. Gadot in particular feels a little lost as her motivations and strategies feel muddled at best.

Snow White is a bit of a mixed bag. While some of the songs are joyous romps, the inclusion of new melodies makes the experience feel overstuffed. Zegler is giving her all, but there’s just too many things to overcome (like poor CGI, a forced romance, and one-dimensional characters). As such, Snow White is probably only for the die-hard Disney loyalists.

Recommended if you enjoyed: The Jungle Book, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid

Snow White is now available for rent or purchase on most digital streaming platforms.

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