The new live action adaptation of Snow White has received much attention and backlash for numerous reasons, most that have nothing to do with the movie itself. I haven’t seen anyone giving reviews of the actual movie without any bias they may hold against either of the lead actresses, without any talk about the politics going on behind the scenes. Perhaps you haven’t either, and you just want to see a review of the movie itself so you can actually decide if it’s worth making the trip out to the theater to see it.
Personally, I thought it was enjoyable. Most social media posts I saw before entering the theater were calling out either Rachel Zegler or Gal Gadot for their terrible acting, neither of which I saw on the big screen. Zegler embodied an innocent and yet strong princess, and Gadot executed a cunning and convincing evil queen. If they really were fighting off-screen, they still managed to both pull it together in front of the cameras and give a stunning show.
I’ve also seen people complaining about how the movie was “too woke” and completely erased the romance from the original movie, and yet, I didn’t find either of those things to be true. Sure, Snow White was smarter and slyer than the original, which I personally do not see as a problem, just a necessary shift to stay relevant to the times and create a better role model for young girls.
Due to the many complaints about the lacking romance, I was expecting for them to have completely erased the “true love’s kiss” from the plot, which, believe it or not, they did not do. I saw nothing wrong with the romance, and even found that this adaptation portrayed their relationship better than in the original.
And sure, there were plenty of things that could have been done better. The script was cheesy; the costumes looked like costumes, not real clothes; and the CGI was lackluster in places. And yet, I still had no problem with any of it while watching.
To me, the only real problem concerning the movie itself is that its audience expected too much from it. Snow White is a Disney film, and Disney is primarily made for children. When you go back to watch your favorite TV shows and movies from your childhood, they’re going to be different from what you remember. You’ve grown up, but you can’t expect the show to do the same. That goes for new adaptations too.
Next to me in the movie theater this past weekend were two little girls in princess dresses sitting with their dad. They were squealing and laughing and enjoying the show just as much as I had while watching Frozen when it was first in theaters 12 years ago.
Seeing them made me realize that this movie wasn’t intended for me, though that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it too. That just means that I can’t be so quick to judge something that wasn’t meant to entertain me in the first place. Sure, constructive criticism is fine, but don’t be so quick to do away with that nostalgic Disney charm because you’re not a child anymore.
