‘Snow White’ review: The spell is undone

Yet another remake of yet another often retold Disney classic is revisited as the Marc Webb-directed musical Snow White. Featuring a mix of new and old songs, a fresh cast, the same story by the Brothers Grimm rehashed by writer Erin Cressida Wilson, and some new but questionable creative ideas.

Snow White is thus named by her perfect parents, the King and Queen, because she was born on a snowy night. They lead a happy life, spreading joy among their happy subjects. Young Snow White (Emilia Faucher) makes delicious apple pies for all the townspeople as they sing along merrily. But after her mother dies, her father remarries a beautiful woman who turns out to be singularly evil. This spells the end of the kingdom’s days of plenty, and long-term servitude for Snow White.

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Gal Gadot, with all the regalia, is the menacing Evil Queen, adorned in gems and drenched in complex vanity and greed. She repeatedly seeks validation from the magical mirror. But her evil reaches a new high when she is threatened by Snow White’s beauty and grace, condemning her stepdaughter to death. However, Snow White manages to escape and finds shelter in the unlikely company of seven dwarves.

The film’s casting is a mix of strengths and missteps. Rachel Zegler plays the older Snow White, and while she is on point as the sweet, kind, brave princess, her performance is somewhat underwhelming. Best known for her role in West Side Story (2021), Zegler has the singing talent and conveys her character’s innocence more ably than she is able to capture the confusion of a character caught between vulnerability, grief, coming of age, and resilience, occasionally playing the overly virtuous Snow White with a somewhat simplistic lens. Gal Gadot, clearly enjoying trading in her do-gooder Wonder Woman suit for a crown, gown and jewels as the Evil Queen, hits the high notes and infuses the narrative with much needed expressiveness. Gadot’s presence marginally elevates the film from its flatlining narrative.

A big misstep is that of Andrew Burnap as the entirely uncharismatic Jonathan, a bandit and Snow White’s love interest. But the biggest stumbling block, and the most questionable creative choice, is the VFX mess that is the dwarves. The animated characters just do not blend with the live action. The wonderful camaraderie shared by Snow White and Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy, Dopey, Bashful, Sleepy and Happy in the original is sorely missing here.

The musical score fails to leave a lasting impression, too. Webb’s filmography includes two Spider-Man movies, so it’s all the more surprising that he seems to have little grip on less effects-heavy and simpler storytelling. In an attempt to put a stamp on it, the writer and director have simply impaired a classic and created a musical fantasy that is not much better than a dank, 109-minute-long summer camp stage show.

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