Disney’s Woke Reimagination of ‘Snow White’: Yay or Nay?
Heigh-Ho! It’s off to the review pages we go as Disney’s newest live-action remake, “Snow White,” finally hit theatres yesterday, Mar. 19, 2025! Whether you’re a fan of these Disney remakes or skeptical about them because, yes, nothing could ever top the magic of the original animated features, you have to admit that there’s much to be excited about this one considering all the controversies surrounding it prior to its release.
We won’t tell you about them here because we would rather tell you what we thought about the actual output and answer the million-dollar question that comes up whenever a Disney live-action remake comes out: “Did it do the classic film justice?”
The Beat Asia got to attend the advance screening of “Snow White” last Mar. 16, which we experienced in the IMAX Theatre at SM Mall of Asia. The event was nothing short of enchanting with several little girls dressed in their best Snow White-inspired princess gowns and a massive set-up at the mall’s atrium featuring iconic backdrops and props from the film such as the Enchanted Forest, the Magic Mirror, and the Seven Dwarves’ cottage.
But the real magic happened at 3 PM when guests sat down to watch the movie that will re-introduce the OG Disney Princess to a new generation. So, without further ado, here's an honest review of the film.
A ‘Woke’ Reimagination
It had been clear from the start that Disney wanted to do something different with this movie, especially after the announcement that it had cast theater star Rachel Zegler in the titular role — an actress of Colombian heritage.
But the company previously showed us in their live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” that an actor’s appearance is only a part of the package that they’re looking for. And thank goodness Rachel had the voice of an actual Disney Princess since they intended to add new songs to the soundtrack composed by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the masterminds behind the music and lyrics of “Dear Evan Hansen.”
But before we dive into the music, let’s take a look at the story and the notable changes Disney made to the 1937 classic.
The first half of the film was undeniably pure Disney magic. It started off strong with an impressive back story showing Snow White as a child living happily in a kingdom with her parents, the Good King and Queen. Backstories give characters more depth, an element most of the earlier Disney films lacked, so we appreciated this addition as it expanded Snow White’s character and opened up possibilities for her character development as the movie progressed.
Time skip, the Good Queen dies and a new one replaces her, which we would all come to know as the Evil Queen (played by Gal Gadot). Snow White grows into a young woman, and like in the original tale, has become a servant at the palace. So far so good as the story progressed with familiar scenes like Snow singing by a well and the Evil Queen’s “Mirror, Mirror on the wall” moment. One significant change, however, was instead of a handsome prince professing his love to her through song in the garden, Snow bumps into a handsome thief in the palace whom she saves from the merciless Queen.
This change started off a chain reaction that ultimately altered Snow White’s tale — not only in its romance aspect but in its entirety. Rachel had mentioned in a previous interview how they “wrote a Snow White that is not gonna be saved by the prince,” and how they wanted to make her the leader she was always meant to be. An ambitious and timely goal, considering audiences today want stories that reflect justice and equality.
Throughout the film, Snow White definitely takes on a more active role, especially after she has escaped to the woods. From holding herself against a group of bandits, bantering with Jonathan (a.k.a. the handsome thief played by Andrew Burnap), to heading out into the forest alone to look for her father, it was like Snow had stepped into a new pair of shoes and became bolder and reckless.
As fans of the classic animated feature, we don’t think it’s a bad thing to change a part of the storyline and understand that changes need to be made to showcase a wholly reimagined tale. However, there were some inconsistencies in the plotline that made us scratch our heads and wonder, "Just why?" Perhaps it was in the way Snow White became suddenly bolder after being locked up in a castle for years and was initially introduced as this timid princess. Although there was a trigger to her character development (meeting the thief), the build-up was lacking because the events didn’t give viewers enough time to see Snow in action — to see her gradually change. Due to this, the ending scene where Snow returned to the palace to take back her kingdom didn’t leave much of an impact and felt anti-climactic.
Meanwhile, the Evil Queen, who had always been this sinister figure, became a little comical with the new villain song. It was fun, but we thought it took away her mysterious factor. As for the dwarves, the CGI animation looked a little bit uncanny at first, but they grew on you. We especially liked the changes they made to Dopey’s character.
Despite Rachel saying that no prince will save her version of Snow White, she still gets saved by True Love’s Kiss. But this time around, the relationship was founded on friendship and time spent together unlike in the original where the prince shows up at the start and then re-appears in the end for the kiss. As Queen Elsa once said, “You can’t marry a man you just met.” It made the kiss more believable because we saw them fall in love with each other before the scene.
In a nutshell, the first half had the makings of a true Disney film, but after the surprising villain song from Gal Gadot, the film took a turn, slowly losing that Disney spark as it progressed.
We believe Disney succeeded in creating a “woke” reimagination of the tale, but not without sacrificing the things that made Snow White a classic Disney Princess. It should receive high marks for telling a bold and brave story about a young woman wanting to become the person she was meant to be, but it certainly lacked in the nostalgia department, which is a big part of the Disney brand.
On Casting, Music, and Effects
Rachel Zegler was an interesting choice, but after seeing the film, it made sense as to why she had been chosen for it. Mainly because the movie’s selling point was its music. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul created a new set of songs, which were mostly wonderful, but didn’t quite fit the Snow-White sound we’ve known and love. Instead, it gave off a whole new vibe and sound that made this princess musical more contemporary and relatable.
It can be heard in songs like “Waiting On A Wish” — Snow’s soaring ballad as she belts out her fears, frustrations, and hopes of becoming the leader her father believed she could be. In “Princess Problems,” Jonathan teases Snow about her idealistic tendencies — lines like “You can't fix the world bakin' apple pies” were comical, clever, and were such good burns that they made us all chuckle in our seats. The unexpected romantic duet “Hand Meets a Hand” was a surprising addition to the film because we never thought Snow could have a duet with her love interest, but with the changes in the storyline, it was made possible, and this modern love song was as sweet as apple pie.
Gal Gadot was a fun Evil Queen, even though it was a little bit of a challenge seeing her in that sinister light considering we’ve known her as a “Wonder Woman” all these years. But it’s commendable how she gave the role a new image. And speaking of looks, her costumes truly embodied her character. We love her sparkly, sequined black gowns with capes and the use of gems in her wardrobe. It was a cool nod to how the dwarves were miners and collected colorful rocks all the time, as well as a good symbol of her greediness.
Snow White and the dwarves still donned their iconic colors and styles while the supporting roles such as the villagers and soldiers wore appropriate attire for the time and setting of the story. Costume designer Sandy Powell did a great job in bringing these iconic characters to life once again, supplying subtle details that represented each and every one of them.
A big company like Disney would have access to the best resources and that included tech and art people, so the CGI effects were sound. Director Marc Webb gave this film a new identity, and although half of it was far from the original, we appreciated how at the heart of the film it was a story of courage; about never giving up; and taking one’s rightful place in the world.
Final Verdict
Disney had been creating remakes since the 90s with classics like “Parent Trap," “Flubber,” and “101 Dalmatians,” but it was only fourteen years later that they started rummaging through their vaults again to turn fan-favorite animated films into live-action features. It started with Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland” in 2010 and was followed by “Maleficent” (2014) which was a massive hit and triggered the House of Mouse to double down on live-action films, resulting in a string of remakes in recent years.
Long story short, these films bring in the big bucks which is why Disney kept making them. Nostalgia sells and these live-action films are the epitome of that — bringing back stories and characters we grew up with and continuing to bring joy to viewers after all these years.
There’s no doubt this live-action remake of “Snow White” brought smiles to our faces and introduced the character in a new light for the younger generation, but as “Renaissance Disney” fans, we think it fell short of the nostalgia, which should’ve been half of what the film should’ve been about. It did, however, succeed in telling a more contemporary version of the story, making it more relatable to the current generation of Disney fans, and encouraging them to become queens and believe in what they could be.
It may not be one of the strongest live-action films on the roster, but it has heart and gave an entertaining show for contemporary audiences.
“Snow White” is now showing in the Philippines and the rest of the world on Mar. 21, 2025!
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