A reimagined classic Disney film, Snow White, was released on March 21, although controversy surrounding it began much earlier. On par with Disney’s recent trend of creating live-action remakes of their beloved stories, Snow White stars actors Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. It also features Andrew Burnap, whose role of Jonathan replaces the original character of Prince Charming and plays a more significant and personal role in the new film than the original version.
In the 2025 remake of Snow White, Disney used computer-generated imagery (CGI) and prosthetics to create magical scenery and a gateway into Snow White’s world. Notably, the CGI usage to create the seven dwarves seemed extremely realistic. The transformation of the Evil Queen to the Wicked Witch was also seamless, making the story seem magical. Furthermore, audiences reacted well to other aspects of the film. Celine Mei (III) notes, “I genuinely enjoy the soundtracks.”
The adaptation follows Snow White from birth, illustrating how her name’s origin is from the snowfall of the day she was born. It displays her upbringing with her parents in a kingdom full of life, happiness and most importantly, fairness. The adaptation turns away from the previous stress on the physical attributes of Snow White’s character, focusing more on her identity, such as her values of kindness and fairness. The movie then follows Snow White years after she is orphaned and left with the jealous Evil Queen. Each day, the Queen asks her magic mirror the classic question, “Who is the fairest of them all?” The traditional storyline is continued, with the mirror replying that Snow White is the fairest and the Queen’s subsequent jealousy and desire to get rid of Snow White forever.
As Snow White runs from the Queen’s schemes, she finds the house of the seven dwarves, the only animated characters in the film. Deciding to return to the kingdom, Snow White encounters Jonathan, a familiar thief from the castle, who eventually turns into her love interest while he helps her escape the Queen’s huntsmen. Soon, Jonathan is captured by the Queen’s guards and the Queen attempts to kill Snow White using a poison apple. She dresses as an old beggar and presents the apple to Snow White, who upon eating it, falls into a deep sleep.
Jonathan soon escapes his imprisonment and awakens Snow White with the classic true love’s kiss. The film, however, does not end there, as Snow White still has to rectify affairs in the kingdom. She stands up against the Evil Queen, turning the loyalty of the Queen’s guards to her side. The Queen’s magic turns against her and she vanishes into her magic mirror, leaving Snow White to rule the land with joy and fairness.
Such alterations to the original plot have made audiences not so fond of the film, with ratings as low as 1.5/10 on IMDb. Its criticism dates back to several years ago on social media with the announcement of Snow White and its related interviews. Since the casting announcement, Zegler has faced backlash because she has a different skin tone than the classic Snow White. American magazine Variety comments that some “disqualified her from playing the princess from Disney’s 1937 musical fantasy, described as having hair as black as ebony and skin as white as snow.” Gal Gadot was considered a controversial pick for playing the Evil Queen because of her “lifeless” acting that bored out the villainous, mysterious character.
The movie was also criticized by fans because of its lack of creativity that Disney movies once encompassed. Boston Latin School Classics teacher Ms. Catherine Foley comments, “Animated art is its own thing, and it should stay that way,” further developing the idea that recent Disney movies have lost their connection with the audience. This is not the first instance of Disney movies facing criticism; remakes of popular films like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and Dumbo all faced similar critiques.
Overall, Disney’s reconstruction of the original Snow White story encapsulates a magical environment with catchy songs and loveable characters, spreading this story to a new generation and bringing a new dimension of entertainment to all.