DISNEY’S SNOW WHITE
DISNEY’S SNOW WHITE
Directed by Marc Webb
Surely by this point mega conglomerate Disney is running low on classic animated films to turn into live action CGI slop-fests, right? Ever since Tim Burton's garish monstrosity 2010's ALICE IN WONDERLAND grossed over a billion dollars they've been chasing that high. Results have been middling to down right disastrous, although I do have a soft spot for 2019's ALADDIN (sue me!).
Long delayed and mired in controversies both fake and legit, DISNEY'S SNOW WHITE finally gets sort of a dump release and you know what? Despite all its flaws and everything working against it, there is still a palatable decently entertaining kids movie in here. I'm shocked too!
Firstly, Rachel Zegler is my girl. The breakout star from 2021's WEST SIDE STORY with a beautiful voice and an undeniable screen presence is very well cast. Secondly they did my girl Zegler so dirty. No I'm not talking about Disney throwing her to the wolves to be constantly bullied by this insane culture we live in, although much can and has been said about that. What I'm talking about is the horrendous and distracting wig they give her. It's a Bob from hell. The classic dress from the original is also recreated wholesale and looks like garbage. Did no one think to make any tweaks? Faithful recreations can be a double edged sword.
Hair and costume aside, Zegler is fabulous and deserves to have a long varied career. Her Snow White is soft spoken yet firm, a dreamer that wants better for her kingdom. Too bad Gal Gadot is here as the Evil Queen. Looking absolutely stunning, her hair/makeup is perfection and the costumes are snatched honey. That said, this genuinely has to be her worst performance. She is lost in the line deliveries trying her hardest to come across as evil and camp and it's so flat. In fact the flatness is what makes her performance sometimes flirt with campiness. Oh god she sings too. Multiple songs! No bueno.
This was still kinda fun though. I'm a huge fan of the original and the visuals working to recreate those images are often quite pleasant to look at. I'm especially fond of the scene where Snow White runs through a haunted forest, completely floored me with how cool it all looked. The dwarves are CGI motion capture to look more like the original cartoons and it's not completely successful but by the end I accepted it.
I like that this wasn't trying to be anything other than a classic SNOW WHITE tale. Bogus reports of this being "woke" are cringe and completely misleading. A hundred year old fairy tale needs some mild story changes and these are for the better. This Snow White has more agency and isn't just a damsel in distress.
Take an edible and catch a matinee screening. Hi-Ho!
⭐⭐ 1/2 out of 4
