Snow White
Apple Cinemas Xtreme
Hartford
As I watched the new Snow White, I found myself wondering who the film was really for.
It’s been nearly 90 years since the groundbreaking classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarves landed on movie screens. Disney has now added it to the growing list of remakes it has amassed in the last few years.
The new Snow White tells a straightforward version of the story so many have grown up with. After the death of the Queen and the disappearance of the King, the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) essentially enslaves the kingdom, and relegates Snow White (Rachel Zegler) to chores and other house duty. When a brash thief named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) breaks into the castle to feed him and his starving friends, it sets a series of events in motion that culminate with a final showdown between the Evil Queen and Snow White.
Rachel Zegler is a fine Snow White. Her incredible singing voice helps to make up for some of her weaknesses as an actress. She also has great support in Burnap, who plays the role of a lovable scoundrel with enthusiasm and charisma. A surprisingly strong turn from Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman also bolsters Zegler.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Gal Gadot. She is cast well as a queen obsessed with her own beauty. But Gadot has never been a strong actress. When she’s asked to do anything other than smile malevolently, it looks like she’s pulling a mask down over her face that imitates emotion. I never felt her jealousy as a real force that drives her, which undermines the threat that she’s supposed to pose to Snow White.
Snow White thankfully does away with the stylistic choices of the recent Lion King films. It chooses not to render its magical animals as faithful recreations of real animals. The deer, rabbits and chipmunks are cartoony and emotive, and help to give the film a sense of wonder that The Lion King and Mufasa lacked.
This choice was also extended to the seven dwarves, with less success. While the visual technology used to create the dwarves is impressive, we’re still stuck firmly in the uncanny valley when it comes to rendering computer generated humanoids, especially when they’re forced to stand next to the real thing. The dwarves were often more distracting than merry. I found myself wishing that the film had either committed to using real little people actors, or the practical effects that created the hobbits in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Another negative aspect of the more recent Disney movies is the overreliance on song. Snow White unfortunately continues this trend. There are three separate musical numbers in the first 15 minutes of the film, which just feels like overkill. What’s worse is that the singing is used for exposition, which has the impact of making the “songs,” such as they are, blend into the normal text of the film in an unsatisfying way.
Disney films used to make the songs feel like events, not padding for screen time. There are still “event” songs in Snow White, such as the Evil Queen’s song and the classic “Whistle While You Work.” But the impact of those two also serves to highlight how underwhelming the rest of the music is.
I don’t think Snow White is a bad movie, but it leaves much to be desired. I understand that these films are new versions for a new generation, but they deserve something good, not just something that’s okay. I think that once this film has left theaters, viewers will be going back to the animated Snow White over this one.
NEXT
Jamil returns to here Other People’s Stories.
