Imagine walking to class and you lock eyes with someone dancing and singing to herself on your route. That’s me. And I’m listening to “Waitin’ on a Wish” from the new ‘Snow White.’
Disney released the ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ remake on March 21 and fans do not like it at all. The movie is currently ranked at one of the worst Disney movies ever made. I, however, do not think it was that bad.
When I went to see the movie on opening night, I realized some big differences, obviously. To start, the name of the movie is ‘Snow White,’ not ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’ This was a major red flag for me; however, after thinking about it, this remake seems to take inspiration from the original 1937 film and adapt its themes.
“Waitin’ on a Wish” was a beautiful start to the movie. Is Snow White the soft soprano we have been watching for years? No, but this is a completely different character. I enjoy that Disney added background to Snow White’s character instead of just killing off her parents and introducing an evil queen. In this film, we see how the kingdom was changed by the queen and what Snow White wants back.
Okay, now for what I hate: Prince Florian absolutely vanishing. I understand why the prince is gone; it wouldn’t make sense for a prince to venture from the woods when Snow’s family runs the kingdom and this new character is essential to the plot. But, Disney, we could have just kept his name Florian instead of changing it to Jonathan.
The beginning of the movie feels the same as the original with minor changes. Although from the first introduction of her character, I decided that I hate Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Her acting made me cringe from start to finish and her songs were horrible. I love the height difference between Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot because it definitely adds so much to their characters; however, that high difference could be found with a different Hollywood star.
Rachel Zegler, on the other hand, I believe was a good pick for Snow White. We do lose the storyline of Snow’s skin being “as white as snow,” but the filmmakers create a new plot point in its place.
Moving into the magical forest, the computer generative dwarfs are so weird, especially since Disney casted actors with dwarfism in multiple roles, including the dwarfs. Grumpy is played by actor and stuntman Martin Klebba who has acromicric dysplasia and stands at 4’1”.
The characters themselves are hilarious. I was audibly laughing at numerous comments made by the seven brothers. I also really enjoyed how the writer’s incorporate the dwarfs in “Whistle While You Work.” It shows how Snow White connects with the characters despite their encouragement for her to leave. They demonstrate Snow’s kind and fair heart in beautiful ways, but Dopey did not need to talk. The moment in the film is joyous, however, with that decision, this remake no longer felt like a remake to me and more of an inspiration, as I mentioned.
This Snow White is a strong feminine character who has a desire to find her father. It’s definitely a switch from the soft spoken young girl in the original, but the world is not the same as it was in the 1930s. Snow White is a good representation for young girls worldwide. She fights for her kingdom and leaves viewers with a strong life lesson: always remember a name.
Even though I found some of the story disappointing, this new ‘Snow White’ was fun, lighthearted and strong. I won’t be paying to see it in theaters again, but may turn it on once or twice when it reaches Disney Plus.