Snow White (2025) Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbiPcMCz0Ek

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

I’ll always remember Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as the first film I ever watched in my lifetime, cherishing to this day. When Walt Disney Pictures started remaking their animated classics, it was a matter of time for this one to be next and that this point it doesn’t really feel worthwhile.


PLOT


The 2025 adaptation follows a whole new version of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale compared to what was done in 1937. The titular princess lost her mother to an illness and her father remarried to another woman who proved to be quite evil of an enchantress the moment he disappeared. Obsessed with her own beauty, she forces the kingdom to live in poverty and conscript many into the royal guard. With no one else but said stepmom, Snow White intends to stay true to her father’s morals to be “Fearless, Fair, Brave & True” as written on a necklace he gave her. As a young adult, she now works as a maid for the evil queen and chooses to defy her for the first time by helping a young bandit named Jonathan escaped from execution over stealing food for starving townspeople. When a magic mirror (Patrick Page) declares the princess to be fairest of them all, the queen orders her huntsman to kill her and give proof by placing her heart in a box as proof. Knowing how innocent she is, he refuses and chooses to warn the princess, ordering to flee for her safety. When he returns to the castle empty handed, the queen imprisons him and sends guards after her. Snow White would befriend the woodland animals and take shelter in a cottage she finds, but little does she know it belongs to seven dwarfs that work at a diamond mine. Their names are: Doc (Jeremy Swift), Grumpy (Martin Klebba), Happy (George Salazar), Bashful (Titus Burgess), Sleepy (Andy Grotelueschen), Sneezy (Jason Kravits) & Dopey the latter who is mute. They are surprised to see her at their home, but they allow her to stay and she teaches them how to clean up after themselves. The princess does eventually cross paths with Jonathan again as he and his group of bandits (Quigg [George Appleby], Maple [Dujonna Gift], Farno [Colin Michael Carmichael], Scythe [Samuel Baxter], Finch [Jimmy Johnston], Bingley & Norwich [Jaih Betote]) fend off against royal guards. This moment does lead to them realizing their feelings for one another. He does promise to help her find her father hoping to overthrow the evil queen, but he ends up getting captured again. Deducing her whereabouts, the Queen dawns a disguise of an old peddler and when she reaches the cottage, she tricks her to eat a poisoned apple that puts her in a sleep like death that can only be broken by true love’s kiss. As she bites into it, the queen reveals she had already killer her father and heads back to the castle just before the dwarves return after being warned by the animals. Jonathan escapes with the help of the huntsman and when he finds Snow White in her predicament, it is his kiss that awakens her. Once she awakens, she rallies her friends to take a stand against her step mom so much that Dopey speaks up for the first time (voiced by Andrew Barth Feldman who had been narrating the story the whole time), motivated to join the rebellion. The dwarves & the bandits sneak into the castle to free the huntsman while Snow White rallies the citizens to stand up to the Queen as she returns to the palace. When trying to make her take the throne by force which she refuses, the Queen then tries forcing guards to kill her, only for them to refuse and remember how peaceful things were before she married into power. When the magic mirror clarifies that being fairest comes from kindness & beauty, the Queen’s denial results in her smashing the glass only for dark magic to pull her away into a shadowy dimension before reverting to a normal mirror. The film would then end with Snow White having a happily ever after after reclaiming the throne into an era of love with Jonathan and her friends by her side.


THOUGHTS


This is one of those films that got people’s attention for the wrong reasons. Particularly, the lead actress Rachel Zegler was not only ridiculed for criticizing how outdated the original film was, as well as having different views with co-star Gal Gadot on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has been going on since October of 2023. The controversy only gets worse when popular dwarf actor Peter Dinklage hypocritically spoke against dwarf typecasting that led to the dwarf characters being computerized, taking away job opportunities for those who don’t mind typecasting and are grateful for the opportunities. It felt like a double standard situation since there was a dwarf actor as one of the bandits and another played Grumpy, so it feels awkward that there was no middle ground on this during production. I hate the fact that I have to bring this up because I do not believe politics are meant to be discussed when it comes to the quality of a blockbuster film, especially one when the audience is targeted for children. When we’re putting aside those behind the scenes aspects, it is still hard to appreciate the overall product because it sure felt like director Marc Webb and writer Erin Cressida Wilson seem to try way too hard in giving a complete do over for something that never needed it. Just because people like Zegler have the opinion of something feeling outdated does not mean change is necessary. I salute the VFX mostly paying off because every woodland landscape is gorgeous, the Magic Mirror is just the way I remembered it and I had a big old smile during the ‘Heigh Ho’ because of all the songs that needed more lyrics, it was that and all the actors voicing all seven of them hit their marks in defining what each of them are all about. I even thought the new placement with ‘Whistle While You Work’ was better timed in how it connects to their bond with the princess. The costumes designed by Sandy Powell were beautifully great too because it felt like they were pulled right from the pages of old sketches of ‘37. Zegler was bold to be honest in why she disliked the predecessor, but I don’t think that takes away the quality of her performance per se. In my eyes, I still think her performance is a big standout for the right reasons for having a stronger case of optimism that things will go her way. The difference is that she doesn’t exactly wait for help and puts an effort when she saves Jonathan. The songs ‘Waiting on a Wish’, ‘Good Things Grow’ and ‘A Hand Meets A Hand’ are not just replacements to “I’m Wishing/One Song’ and “Someday My Prince Will Come’, but what really bring the story full circle about how empathy is stronger than envy. She could’ve lived with hatred the way her stepmom did, but sticking to what her dad taught her is what remains inspiring. I also respect how there is more time to establish her relationship with Jonathan compared to how the animated version rushed things with Prince Florian. You can clearly see they’re meant to be not because the plot demands it but more on how they relate to selflessness. I was surprised that there was more to do with the huntsman since he basically was written off in the original after sparing the princess. This time, Ansu Kabia does get the chance to portray him just as a guy who had reluctance in the duties he knew he was skilled at, but was most compassionate when it came to defying the queen more than once. I’m pretty sure he’ll have more to do in Snow White’s new era because if he has such a big heart, he’ll definitely bring more to contribute however so. Last but not least, Gadot has been the most critical aspect of this movie since many moviegoers were not hip with her song ‘All is Fair’ that is on the nose expressing how evil the queen is. Throughout, she still goes for being dead on with vanity and narcissism the character is known for, letting her insecurities get the best of her. I’m still scared of apples because of her. It was a big change of scenery for the climax to be the queen losing to her own self doing rather than being chased by the dwarfs, but ideal because if she wasn’t so selfish, she would’ve not been defeated so easily. There are many things I have said that can defend why some would like it, but there a handful of confusing moments as well where I understand the common dislike. Like there is a scepter shown in the castle after the prologue and no one brings it up. Why would you show that off if no one is gonna use it later? That was just pointless to me like not even explaining where the queen for the mirror. Hell, the queen should’ve just killed Snow White in the castle where she can cover up the how. Letting it happen in the woods is just a big excuse for her to escape which is something she shouldn’t allow to happen. Not even making the time to explain how the dwarves’ powers is even ridiculous because I want to know why their hands flow to the point they can activate lanterns with a touch, especially when they say it’s been over 200 years since they encountered a human not ever explaining the possible fallout. And you know what, it’s a little messed up for Snow White to assign Sneezy to deal with the cobwebs. The name says it all on what he does all day and that’s just hold up the day if you ask me. I can even go on with how odds there were for her to run into Jonathan on the run, but then I’m surprised Doc figured out how to patch up Jonathan (having been shot by an arrow) when he admitted to not knowing basic surgery in advance. There’s also no point for the queen to keep the huntsman because considering she wanted Jonathan executed for stealing food, he should’ve been offed way before Jonathan came back. If you can ignore all said flaws, then you’re more tolerable than I am. To wrap up, 2025’s Snow White is one of the weaker remakes in Disney’s catalog for having too much pressure to please multiple generations. If you weren’t impressed, stick with the original and you’ll have no judgment.