Snow White Review: The Dwarves' only sin was trusting this remake Ft. Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler

1.5/5

Snow White Review: Story: In a land far away where magic exists right beside a magical forest, a girl is born. She is not named after her pale white color but after the season of her birth: Snow White (Rachel Zegler). Thank God they did not name her Cold Breeze. Time passes, and her parents teach her the values of kindness and coexistence. But one day, the mother (The Queen) dies, and a woman from a land unknown lures the King into marriage, becoming the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot). The Evil Queen sends the King off to battle, has him killed, and takes control. She pushes Snow White into oblivion until one day, the young princess decides to take charge of her destiny after the Evil Queen’s plan to kill her fails. Snow White and her friends must now defeat the Evil Queen and restore freedom and fairness to their town!

Snow White Review:

Disney, in its attempt to turn its animated epics into lukewarm live-action films, is exploring every possible way to make them work. Their mood board, for someone who has observed their projects lately, is filled with pointers about ‘What The Internet Thinks.’ Decisions are made based on data from public opinion, trending taboos, and contemporary political narratives. But does art really need to be data-driven? Well, that’s a conversation for another day. But does data-driven content land well? So far, no. Yet, Disney still insists on making a live-action adaptation of one of its most iconic stories, featuring a cast as massive as Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler—only to repeat the same mistakes. Meanwhile, in love with Spider-Man? Here's a binge list on SonyLIV you can watch with your OTTplay Premium Subscription.

What was once meant to instill values and goodness in children and evoke nostalgia in adults is now a failed experiment that does neither. I understand this is turning into a rant rather than a review, but for a child who once obsessed over the Seven Dwarves (I said child—politics and stereotypes weren’t concepts for me then) and kind of saw himself in the Prince, Snow White (2025) feels like it has stripped away everything the franchise once stood for. Regardless of whether the original was right or wrong, this adaptation takes the essence, distorts it, and presents something neither visually captivating nor aligned with the political stance it aims to promote.

Let’s not even discuss how it preaches fairness and freedom in its opening scene while simultaneously using heavily CGI-generated, caricatured Dwarves instead of casting real actors. Isn’t the idea of fair chances and equal representation supposed to extend behind the scenes as well, if it’s being championed in the film?

Written by Erin Cressida Wilson (The Girl on the Train) and based on the fairytale by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Snow White is directed by Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man). The writing in this live-action remake feels like a young animal just learning to run—darting in every direction without fear of crashing into a tree, a wall, or, in Snow White’s case, controversy. The film was made amid heavy public scrutiny on every aspect of it. You can see that tension seeping into the screenplay as the movie awkwardly sidesteps the Dwarves entirely. The term "fairest" is now used in place of "beautiful," which feels like an intentional effort to sanitize the original themes.

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You enter a Disney film expecting nostalgia and comfort. But when the leading lady walks around as if she’s a walking reminder of The Communist Manifesto, it somewhat undermines the original intent of these characters. There’s no harm in giving them a new voice, a new version, or a fresh perspective—please do, because times have changed. The outdated stereotypes that were normalized in the past shouldn’t be celebrated now. But if you’re going to be bold, then commit to it for the entire film.

In the case of Snow White, it feels like two different films shot separately and then stitched together. The Prince is no longer a Prince—he’s now a bandit who aspires to be Robin Hood. But after such a strong introduction, his only role seems to be kissing a dying Snow White. That’s it. He should have an active part in the climax, not just exist for a single moment of convenience.

The same applies to the Dwarves, who should be demanding justice from Disney. If, after involving sensitivity consultants and the Dwarfism committee to ensure proper representation (as per reports), this is the best they could come up with, then something is seriously wrong with the process. Instead of finding a meaningful way to include the Seven Dwarves, the film essentially erases them, reducing them to mere bystanders who save Snow White once in the forest. If they serve no purpose, why even include them at all? Similarly, the film introduces a mine full of diamonds and precious stones—but it has zero relevance to the plot. You can tell they had an idea but abandoned it out of fear of another online backlash.

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Rachel Zegler is committed to her craft and brings a certain charm, especially during the musical sequences. Gal Gadot plays a dramatic Evil Queen, but she doesn’t offer anything fresh beyond the villain archetype we’ve seen for years. The CGI is stunning in some moments, jarring in others. The music is peppy and works well within the film.

Snow White Final Verdict:

I wish someone had screamed "PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH" on the set of Snow White—a film that wants to be everything but ends up being nothing. Even when problematic, the original animated version was visually stunning and artistically rich. However, the 2025 adaptation, diluted with a dose of pseudo-wokeness (as much as I hate using that term), turns into a messy affair.

Snow White hits the big screen on March 21, 2025. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more reviews like this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.-