Snow White Redefines But Doesn't Deliver

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, so imagine the excitement and fear I felt when I heard about Disney's live-action remake.

Controversy surrounded Disney's re-imagination of Snow White from the moment they announced it. Naysayers disliked the idea of another live-action remake instead of creating an original story. If there can be a million iterations of "Romeo and Juliet" or "Cinderella", I see no reason Snow White can't be the same.

The film stars Rachel Zegler, a New Jersey native of Colombian and Polish descent who recently starred in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Social Media went wild because Zegler doesn't have a white complexion, as the princess's name suggests. I was initially excited to see a Hispanic Snow White, considering my favorite princess would look more like me and come from the same state where I grew up. From her role in West Side Story, I also knew that her vocal talents were perfect for the role.

More controversy ensued when Zegler's promotional interviews implied that she disliked the animated 1937 version and was more than happy to stray from the outdated storyline. Badmouthing the original Oscar-winning movie that revolutionized the film industry as the first full-length animated movie was a strange marketing strategy that didn't resonate well with fans.

Then, came the issue with the dwarf casting. Initially, it was an ethnically diverse cast with only one little person. After public backlash, including criticisms from actor Peter Dinklage who wanted to avoid reinforcing stereotypes and urged Disney to create three dimensional characters who's name isn't their entire personality, Disney decided to recast the dwarfs and make them CGI characters, a decision that's been criticized for taking opportunities away from a community that rarely gets roles in major motion pictures.

Because of the lack of a marketing direction and unclear plot premise, I was not confident that I was going into the theatre to see a movie I would enjoy.

I walked into a mostly empty theatre on opening weekend, instantly surprised when the movie began with a song that included both Snow White's parents, redefining the signature phrase "fairest of them all." Instead of beauty, the phrase referred to impartiality and evenly sharing wealth. They explained her name and change in complexion by removing the "skin as white as snow" phrasing for a story about braving a winter storm, which serves as a reminder of her strength throughout the entire film.

A narrator, later revealed to be Dopey, introduces the Evil Queen, played by Gal Gadot. Although it was refreshing to have a villain without a tragic backstory, someone evil for evil's sake, it also made her feel one-dimensional without any real motivation. The same thing can be said about almost all the characters.

The disturbing CGI dwarfs were introduced as magical creatures but never showed any affinity for anything fantastical. Their overall appearance was unsettling with their dramatically oversized heads, porcelain gnome-like skin, and dingy attire, making them hard to differentiate, even for a lifelong fan like me. It was even more confusing when a bandit character was a little person played by George Appleby, but separate from the dwarfs who also supported and helped Snow White. It felt like a half-baked statement about dwarfs and little people that was lost somewhere along the way. Even though they were the center of one of the movie's most significant controversies, the seven dwarfs were dropped from the title and felt like an unfortunate afterthought, leaving Dinklage's comment to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The bandits' leader, Jonathan, who fights in the name of the deceased king, played by Andre Burnap, replaces the prince who falls in love with Snow White. Despite being a nameless character in the animated version, he had the most fleshed-out arc, more so than even the movie's namesake. He shows and encourages Snow White to be a leader and reveals the injustices caused by the Queen. It isn't until she meets him that Snow White even attempts to do anything to save her people; instead, she sings of her woes while cleaning the castle. It contradicts the idea that this version of Snow White doesn't need a prince to save her when the plot doesn't even start until he arrives.

Musically, this version did keep classics like "Heigh Ho," "Whistle While You Work," and "The Silly Song" and showcased new original songs like "Waiting on a Wish" and "All Is Fair." Although the music was good, none of the songs seemed to have the lasting memorability of those from the animated film. The songs also lacked the signature opera-like quality that Snow White is known for.

Overall, I did like the movie much more than I expected to, but that's not saying much, considering I was fully expecting to hate it. Even if I were to ignore the seemingly never-ending controversy surrounding the film, it's hard to suspend disbelief when the plot is so confusing it doesn't even know who it's trying to please. The film didn't offer enough nostalgia or fan fodder to appeal to adults who grew up loving the animated version. The movie also lacked enough fantastical elements to appeal to little girls who love a classic princess story. In the end, with no clear direction, this reimagining of Snow White was far from the fairest of them all, no matter how you choose to define it.