A beautiful girl, Snow White, takes refuge in the forest in the house of seven dwarfs to hide from her stepmother, the wicked Queen. The Queen is jealous because she wants to be known as 'the fairest in the land', and Snow White's beauty surpasses her own.
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| (C) Disney |
Yes, Rachel Zegler is amazing as Snow White. Given how they reimagined the character, she is a perfect fit for the role. At the same time, she embodies what made Snow White the fairest of them all since 1937. You can also feel the longing as she sings "Waiting on a Wish." She is indeed the best part of this film. Speaking of songs, the new slate from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul is much stronger compared to recent efforts under Disney.
Now, let's talk about Gal Gadot. "Uneven" might be the best description of her performance here. From quick smirks to sickening behaviors, there are moments where she unleashes her dark side as the Evil Queen. Unfortunately, there are more misses than hits. It's a good thing her screen time is not particularly large, but her moments are still pivotal. The eventual decision by Disney regarding the dwarfs also leads to occasionally distracting results.
Thankfully, the film feels like a fairytale brought to life. Aside from one sequence that also features a song, it’s believable that magic exists in the world they've created. The choice to avoid making it too realistic helped enhance the overall experience.
It’s also interesting how they’ve added depth to the story of the original classic. Jonathan, played by the charming Andrew Burnap, is a solid addition to the narrative. The way they ended the film is also a nice touch, aside from being refreshing in today’s blockbusters. It may be a little rough around the edges, but I genuinely think it was earned.
Snow White is a decent entry among Disney’s live-action adaptations, heavily carried by Zegler. That shouldn’t have been the case, though. Nevertheless, it’s fair enough. I still left the cinema inspired, humming to the merry tunes. Sometimes, that’s enough too. 2/5
Disney's Snow White is now playing in PH cinemas.
