Review
Lilo & Stitch reloaded: how much love has Disney still got to show?
by Luca Fontana
Disney’s Snow White has emancipated itself from the original – and that’s a good thing
19.3.2025
Translation: Katherine Martin
Sheesh. Few films have been bad-mouthed in the run-up to their release quite as heavily as Snow White. Now that Disney’s live-action remake has hit theatres, it’s proving most of the naysayers wrong. Although Snow White has stayed very close to the original in parts, it’s refreshingly different in others.
Fear not, this review contains zero spoilers. I won’t be mentioning anything here that hasn’t already been revealed in trailers.
Ever thought that «snow white» might be a symbol of purity and innocence, and not necessarily refer to skin colour? In 1937, no one was bothered by the fact that Snow White was a lot older in the animated film than in the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Not every change has to be bad per se. Adaptations are products of their time. And every new spin on a story deserves to be judged fairly and unbiasedly.
Years pass and Snow White grows into a young woman – but she still obeys her wicked stepmother. Envious of Snow White’s beauty, the queen tries to have her killed, forcing the princess to flee. At the same time, the notion that something has to change takes root within Snow White. But she needs allies.
Refreshingly different, but still familiar
At first, I was sceptical too. I saw the Snow White remake as unnecessary, thinking to myself: «Surely not?! The original’s fine the way it is.» Then I took off my rose-tinted glasses and watched the 1937 cartoon again.
Welp.
The plot of the remake may sound familiar so far, but there are a few differences. Just as the makers have departed from a literal interpretation of Snow White’s name, they’ve also overhauled the role of the prince. After all, unlike the naïve young girl portrayed in the original, Snow White has now been developed into a woman who doesn’t just wait for good things to happen to her.
Despite all this, I can assure fans of the original that Snow White hasn’t been entirely upended. Visually, the remake is based totally on the original. Some scenes have either been reproduced exactly or executed in a very similar way. This is clever, as it creates familiarity and sets reference points for parents who grew up with the 1937 version.
Snow White and the evil queen in La La Land
The live-action remake of Snow White is a musical in the classic Disney tradition. If there was a lot of singing in the original, it feels like even more in this version. I counted ten songs lasting several minutes, excluding the credits. That’s far too many for a musical Grinch like me, but probably just the right amount for people who’re into that type of music.
The dwarves are no small matter
Zegler and Gadot’s acting performances are convincing too. Gadot in particular seems to have really enjoyed embodying the role of the evil queen. She’s callous, heartless and simply evil. The rest of the cast does a decent job, with no poor performances unpleasantly standing out from the rest. At least not as unpleasantly as the CGI dwarves, that is.
The film confirms what had already been hinted at in the trailer: the computer-generated dwarves feel out of place. Even by the end of the film, I can’t get used to them. I’ve no doubt they’ve been professionally crafted, every detail refined to look as human as possible. But I don’t warm to them. On the bright side, the dwarves don’t appear in the film as much as they do in the original. In the 1937 version, almost the entire movie plays out at their home.
Incidentally, the animals have turned out much better than the dwarves. Though also computer-generated, they look much more natural and in keeping with the rest of the film.
In a nutshell
A successful live-action remake with some refreshing changes
The more I think about it, the more impressed I am with the live-action adaptation of Snow White. So much so that as I was writing this review, I decided to award the film an extra star. Disney has breathed new life into an age-old story, giving it depth in a way that doesn’t seem contrived or jarring.
Visually, Snow White is very similar to the almost 90-year-old original in some parts. As far as the story is concerned, though, there are major differences. However, these plot changes and additions are both in line with the times and – especially when it comes to the portrayal of women – sorely needed. The writers have managed this with finesse. Contrary to what I’d feared, the changes haven’t been crowbarred in. I don’t want to give too much away, but don’t worry – Snow White hasn’t suddenly turned into a battle-hungry Valkyrie. Instead she’s a woman that a child could look up to and emulate.
A child like my six-year-old daughter, for example.
Snow White is now showing in Swiss cinemas. Runtime: 109 minutes. Rated 6+.
Header image: The Walt Disney Company Switzerland
I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.
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