Snow White (2025) Review

Live-action remakes are seemingly all the rage with Disney at the moment. Despite a host of mixed reviews over the last few years, Disney continues to give their films the live-action treatment.

At this point, it’s important to note that I am not at all opposed to live-action remakes. I think they can actually offer a really entertaining, fresh look at some of the classic Disney movies of old. One of my recent favourite live-action movies over the past few years is Cruella, and while it is more of a live-action prequel than a remake, it offers something new and entertaining, rather than simply a retelling of a story which no one really needs.

Unfortunately, the latter is precisely the case with 2025’s Snow White. In all honesty, there’s nothing particularly wrong with this live-action remake; it just doesn’t deliver anything new. It’s a straightforward retelling of the story, and sadly, that’s it. 2017’s Beauty and the Beast was also a direct retelling; however, it brought a level of charm and excitement to the story we all know and love, and this is where Snow White really fails to deliver.

At no point throughout the movie did I feel gripped or on the edge of my seat. There’s a hint of a darker undertone, particularly when focused on the Evil Queen’s tyrannical jealousy of Snow White; however, it always falls short and fails to strike a balance between a children’s movie and a more mature adventure. Despite a promising pace in the opening half hour, the film soon tails off. There were some scenes throughout the middle section that I wished would end quickly.

On a positive note, Rachel Zegler delivers a standout performance as Snow White. She brings fantastic depth to a character going through a very much coming-of-age journey, and I felt far more engaged whenever she was on screen. She is let down at times by some poor writing and dialogue, but I think it’s fair to say she has rightfully cemented her place as a Disney Princess.

The same cannot be said for Gal Gadot, however. Now, I’m not one to criticise actors or actresses (they do a hell of a job for our entertainment!), but her portrayal of the Evil Queen felt very wooden to me. Again, she is not helped by some terrible dialogue choices, but her entire delivery and on-screen persona fell very flat. It is worth noting that she more than looks the part – kudos to the costume department for that – it’s just a shame the performance doesn’t match.

One of the big controversies that surrounded Snow White prior to its release was the use of CGI to animate the infamous Seven Dwarfs, in their words, to “avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film.” I must admit, at first glance, I raised an eyebrow at the appearance of the CGI dwarfs; however, it didn’t take long for them to blend into the movie and for the characters to bring humour and charm to proceedings. Snow White does a great job of bringing out the varying personalities and characteristics of the dwarfs, and there are a few nods to the classic animations from the 1937 movie which fans of the original can certainly appreciate.

True to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 2025’s Snow White is also a musical, and for the most part, it’s fairly enjoyable. In particular, there are a few ‘sing at the top of your lungs’ songs which I think will prove to be popular, such as “Waiting on a Wish” and “Good Things Grow.” “Waiting on a Wish” is perfectly suited to Rachel Zegler’s vocal range and will no doubt be considered a classic Disney song for many years to come.

The Verdict

Despite a stellar performance from Rachel Zegler as the titular character, Snow White is sadly not the fairest live-action remake of them all – it’s a technically polished film that ultimately struggles to find its own voice.

3/5