Cadence Harris

Wished I could do half-stars! I'm umming and erring between a 2.5–3.5. As a young adult who grew up on the original, I went into this movie with my own expectations—and I know I’m not alone in that. While it’s far from a perfect film, I genuinely believe it was unfairly hated. It wasn’t fabulous, but it wasn’t a complete disaster either. The songs were underwhelming. But considering how few there were in the original—and how long ago it was made—it’s not easy to write new music that fits the tone while still feeling authentic. I don’t think the soundtrack quite landed, but I can see that they tried. Casting is a mixed bag. Like many others, I had issues, but I want to emphasize that Rachel Zegler did a great job capturing Snow White’s kindness and innocence. She’s clearly a talented actress. While I understand the desire to stay faithful to the original character’s appearance, Rachel didn’t deserve the level of hate she received. The decisions about the film’s direction weren’t hers to make, and she shouldn’t be blamed. The same goes for Gal Gadot. I don’t think it helped that both actresses were let down by costume and hair design. The seven dwarves were, however, a real misstep. The animation was rough, and their portrayal felt shallow and cartoonish (in a bad way). That part definitely needed more care and respect. That said, I tried to consider how the movie might be viewed through the eyes of a child—who is, after all, the target audience. From that angle, the film works better. There are adorable woodland animals, bright visuals, and silly, fun moments that would absolutely appeal to younger viewers who aren’t concerned with accuracy to the source material or the online discourse. Before the movie came out, I had heard that the prince wouldn’t be saving Snow White and that she would save herself. While I’m fully in support of female independence, I also like the romantic rescue—so I went in expecting disappointment. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that true love’s kiss still saved the day. In short: not great, not awful. It has heart, but also a lot of flaws. It didn’t deserve the level of malice it got.