Disney's Snow White Review

Last night, D23 Gold Members had a special opportunity to attend an exclusive advance screening of Disney’s Snow White, the live-action reimagining of the Disney animated feature that started it all! D23 advance screening opportunities are one of the many perks for D23 Gold Members. My review of the film below may contain spoilers but I will try to be as brief as possible without giving away too much.

Disney's Snow White D23 Advanced Screening

The Original Disney Animated Classic

In 1937, Walt Disney’s first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarf, started it all. The film was not only a first for Walt Disney, but it was the first animated feature film produced in the United States and the first cel animated feature film. The film was an instant box-office success and paved the way for many more full-length animated films from Walt Disney Animation Studios over the last 88 years.

First of all, Disney’s Snow White is not a remake of the animated classic film. The story is similar and features similar moments from Walt Disney’s animated classic, but the live-action version does not completely follow the animated movies story. For anyone with concerns that Disney has created a live-action film of Walt’s classic, set those concerns aside because the live-action film is different enough, taking a different approach to telling the classic story.

And as far as Disney making a live-action Snow White, it was already done on the small screen in the ABC series “Once Upon A Time”. The hit series was on the air for seven seasons and primarily focused on Snow White, Prince Charming (her husband in the series), the Evil Queen and their daughter. So anyone with concerns about Disney creating a live-action movie of Walt’s first full-length animated film need not worry. The live-action film is a different telling of the classic story, just like “Once Upon A Time” was also a different version of the classic tale.

The Live-Action Story

The all-new live action film provides the audience with a backstory to Snow White’s father and how he met the Evil Queen after the death of Snow White’s mother. But just like the animated film, the Evil Queen is obsessed with her beauty and being the fairest in the land. She is so obsessed with her beauty that every day she asks her magic mirror who is the fairest in the land. And while the magic mirror tells the Queen that she is the fairest of all, once Snow White grows older, the magic mirror names her as the fairest in the land.

Characters in the Film

A major difference between the animated film and the live-action film is that the live-action Snow White film does not include a Prince. Instead, the lead male role is a character named Jonathan played by Andrew Burnap. Jonathan is the leader of a group of rebels who defy the Evil Queen’s monarchy. Snow White meets Jonathan while she is a maid in the castle after he is captured by the royal guards for stealing food. The two meet again in the magical forest while Snow White is hiding from the Evil Queen who wants her killed. Jonathan becomes Snow White’s love interest in the film and the one who awakes her from the Evil Queen’s curse.

Disney Snow White Live Action Movie Poster

The Stars of the Film

Disney’s Snow White stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White who is perfect for the role (in my opinion). She brings the character to life, giving Snow White a backbone while maintaining the characters innocence.

Gal Gadot stars as the Evil Queen in the new live-action film. For the most part, I liked Gadot as the Evil Queen, but at times I felt that she may not have been the best fit for this role. Her costume, jewelry and especially the crown were spot on and Gadot looked stunning as the character. However, during the show stopping performance of “All Is Fair” , I felt that Gadot seemed out of place and lacked the flair that the Evil Queen should have for such a grand performance.

Some of the cutest and loveable characters in the movie include the seven dwarfs and the forest animals. The forest animals felt realistic without having an annoying CGI feel like some films have. And the dwarfs were charming and fit right into the story without having a forced feeling. However, the one shocker that really surprised me was when Dopey talked. As you might remember, Dopey does not speak in the animated classic film and that changes in the live-action film. And, I’ll leave it at that so I don’t give away any other spoilers.

Summary

Overall, I really enjoyed Disney’s Snow White. I, like many others, had concerns about Disney creating a live-action version of the classic story. I am usually not a fan of the live action remakes of Disney animated films. For example, Disney’s animated Beauty and the Beast is my favorite movie of all-time. I love the story, songs, characters and the animation style of the film. And while I thought the live-action version of the film in 2017 was “just okay”, for me it did not even come close to the magic of the original 1991 Disney animated film.

However, Disney’s Snow White is so unique and different from the original 1937 animated classic film, that I felt it can be a stand-alone version that takes a different approach to the classic story. So, if you are thinking about seeing Disney’s Snow White this weekend or over the next few weeks, I recommend it! It’s a fun film for the entire family that gives new meaning to the phrase that “good will triumph over evil”.

Watch the Official Trailer

Disney’s Snow White arrives in theaters this Friday, March 21, 2025. Watch the all-new trailer from the film featuring new songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul along with a few familiar tunes.