To the general public’s dismay, “Snow White” (2025) has hit theaters nearly 90 years after the original film’s release. Due to being largely unexpected, and frankly uncalled for, the movie has received no shortage of critics who don’t hesitate to pick apart Disney’s creative decisions for the film. These criticisms are not without reason.
On the surface, the movie appears to be a faithful remake that accurately reworks scenes from its predecessor into a live action interpretation while imbuing our black-bobbed protagonist with a token sad backstory, and unfortunately, a lopsided hairdo. This utopian facade only lasts somewhere around 20 minutes into the movie.
With awkward singing, distasteful casting, the politically correct inclusion of romance, the disproportionate and no longer charming CGI dwarves, Snow White’s constantly off-center necklace and the air of controversy surrounding the film, I audibly sighed in the theater while watching this movie.
I did not sit down at this movie with my mother expecting a garish, over-the-top display of romance. What I actually expected was the typical story of Snow White trespassing into the cottage only for her first thought to be tidying up the house. I expected Grumpy’s character arc to become something bigger, and I wanted to learn more about the dwarves and their developments as individuals. I expected the dramatic yet grotesque reworking of the apple scene.
What I actually got was Snow White waltzing into the dwarves’ bedroom like it was her own, uncanny but endearing versions of the dwarves who easily let Snow White stay because “Wow! The princess!”, Grumpy showing no development except for shedding a single tear at Snow White’s funeral (what a shocker), the dwarves barely contributing anything to the film due to their disturbing appearances and the Evil Queen transforming into. . .Gal Gadot without her makeup on, not to mention the godawful, love-filled lack of anticipation that led up to that moment.
Now, don’t get me wrong—the movie wasn’t poorly made, this is Disney after all. Cinematography isn’t a flaw in this movie, for the most part, but the set design is hit or miss. The sets effectively set the mood, and they captured the essence of the original movie—aside from the noticeable fake grass and the stale, unappealing food. All of the sets and the movie itself had genuine effort put into them, but it looks like corners were cut.
Competent people definitely worked on this movie, but critics are quick to point out any human errors that take away from the immersion of the film. On the other hand, I’m sure that the main actors have potential outside of this movie. Maybe it was the script, maybe it was the CGI dwarves, but the acting is too stiff and too controlled. The opening scene with all the dancers got my attention solely because it gave me hope that this movie would build upon the original in a new, imaginative, and well-done way—but I was wrong. Despite having a plethora of songs, the musical aspects of the film lack the original’s charm.
On several occasions throughout the movie, I found myself charmed only by reminiscing about the original (1937). The endearing way that the dwarves and Snow White’s animal friends are animated is instantly lost when the animators made the decision to force them into CGI molds. On the other hand, the actors behind Snow White and the Evil Queen are not well suited as main characters. They lack fluidity in their motion, and their acting feels sterile and controlled, leading to an anticlimactic mood throughout the whole movie.
Not once did I actually feel bad for any of the characters, despite the drama Disney tried to bring into the story. I didn’t care for the thieves. I couldn’t care to remember anybody else in the movie besides Snow White and the Evil Queen. The only reason that I remember The Seven Dwarves is because of their poorly done, hyper-realistic and otherworldly faces. The worst part of the dwarves is that it probably cost more to animate them than to hire real actors–which is probably why they’re introduced an hour into the movie and only present and speaking in less than half of its runtime.
My takeaway from the movie is that it failed to say anything. It failed to give Snow White the girl power everybody thought she needed, it failed to make up for Prince Charming nonconsensually kissing her in the first place and it failed to flesh out the dwarves without making them say their name every time they’re on screen because they end up disappearing for most of the movie. The plot of the original movie is lost because it has been twisted into a convoluted story that is filled with fluff, trying so hard to say something, but failing to do so—just like Dopey. Except Dopey actually ends up saying something at the end of the remake. Ironic, isn’t it?
