By Heather Halperin
Correspondent
Disney’s most recent live-action adaptation, “Snow White,” tells the classic story of the fairytale with a fresh twist. It is a blend of traditional Disney magic with a modernized plot line. However, this timeless story continues to express the ideas of vanity, jealousy and the power of kindness.
“Snow White” was released in theaters on March 21. It stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen.
The story of “Snow White” begins with a young girl who is determined to forge her own path in a world that has her constrained by tradition and societal expectations. As she navigates her journey of self-discovery, she joins forces with an unlikely group of loyal companions.
A group of seven unique dwarfs and rebellious bandits come together to help Snow White face the sinister threat of the Evil Queen before Snow White's home is destroyed forever.
This story brings to life the magic of Disney movies using visually stunning sets, captivating acting performances and a nostalgic soundtrack. This adaptation blends a timeless fairytale with 21st-century values — that young women do not need a man to always save them.
This movie aims to captivate every type of audience, with the old Disney lovers and new ones getting a taste of Disney magic for the first time.
“Snow White” was a quick and pleasant watch. It was visually and musically fantastic. Every set and costume of the original film was brought to life in a colorful and captivating way. Each song, the original along with the new ones, was both lively and enchanting.
The fairytale was further captured on screen by the outstanding acting of all those involved in the cast. Zegler captured the original Snow White’s purity and kindness while also bringing a more progressive tone to the character.
Gadot also delivered a captivating performance as the Evil Queen. She showed her ability to play mesmerizing and multifaceted characters. She managed to blend elegance and menace as she delivered her lines with a precise and sophisticated demeanor. She brought to life an iconic villain every Disney fan hates to love.
However, the plot at times fell short, as the traditional storyline of the prince was taken out of this retelling. While it did not destroy the movie, there is typically a classic love story in every Disney princess film.
In addition, there were times the movie drifted away from the original, especially when new characters were thrown into the film.
It is hard to ignore the amount of controversy that followed the announcement of this film. Newsweek stated that the changes made have forced the movie to go “woke.”
Many also had an issue with the casting of Zegler as Snow White. Zegler is a Latina actress, and this sparked a debate over racial representation. Newsweek also explained another issue that sparked over Disney only casting one of the Seven Dwarfs with an actual actor with dwarfism.
Zegler received hate with her press interviews regarding this film. Dailymail reported that Zegler shared her thoughts and explained how “extremely dated” the original film is, and they wanted to change that this time around.
However, many took her response as Zegler trashing the original movie. Considering that Snow White was the first Disney princess Walt Disney created, many fans took that to heart.
For any true Disney fan, the majority of this movie had the magic and mystery one is typically looking for. It was another vibrant and dazzling film that any Disney lover, new or old, can enjoy.
