Mirror, Mirror On The Wall.. Is 'Snow White' Still The Fairest?

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Disney’s new musical extravaganza, starring Rachel Zegler as the eponymous princess and Gal Gadot as Evil Queen, finally arrives in theaters after facing delays due to the Covid pandemic and the 2023 Hollywood actors’ strike.

The time is ripe to present the question on the minds of Disney fans: Mirror, mirror on the wall... — Yes, the iconic magic mirror still brims with stentorian voice —Will Disney’s new live-action remake, remain faithful to the original 1937 animated classic?

First and foremost, the new musical still depicts noblesse oblige, but the princess is no longer a damsel in distress. Indeed, apart from her endearing look and heart of gold, she's now “fearless, brave and true.”

In the new version, Snow White’s dashing prince has been reimagined as a Robinesque-hood bandit (Andrew Burnap) named Jonathan, who ultimately becomes the princess’ romantic interest. The chemistry between Zegler and Burnap is electrifying, felt most palpably when they sing a duet in the third act.

Snow White’s stepmother, Evil Queen (Gal Gadot), is still a beauty-obsessed enchantress seething with jealousy over her stepdaughter’s charm. How she plots the princess' death unfolds all the same. The wicked queen tasks a henchman, The Huntsman (Ansu Kabia), to take her stepdaughter into the woods to kill her. Luckily, Snow White survives and marches on to forge an alliance with the swainish Jonathan to thwart the queen’s reign of terror.

Suffice to say, Snow White still gazes into a wishing well, all the while singing mellifluous melodies. This time around, they are compositions by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the multi-awarded musical duo behind the 2016 “LaLa Land” musical score. In terms of the songs from the original soundtrack, Disney fans will be thrilled to hear renditions of “Heigh-Ho,” “Whistle While You Work,” and “The Silly Song,” echoing wistful moments of nostalgia along the way.

And of course, the seven dwarfs are in the new movie— Happy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey, Bashful, Grumpy and Doc — who magically appear as underground miners, created using the wonders of CGI technology. Doc (voiced by Jeremy Swift) even manages to nurse Jonathan back to the pink of health after the bandit sustains a severe crossbow-shot wound while trying to rescue Snow White in the woods.

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

How are the performances in the live-action remake “Snow White”?

Zegler’s performance is phenomenal, while Burlap is convincing enough as Snow White’s roguish love interest. Gadot, as the evil enchantress, appears constrained albeit not lackluster, given the limited confines of her role in the screenplay.

Finally, mirror, mirror on the wall...

What is your verdict on the new version of the beloved Disney classic?

Altogether, the musical live-action remake, directed by Marc Webb, portrays a new era for Snow White, a modernized princess blazing a trail of paradigm shift seen through a prism of cultural relevance. What emerges in the end is entertaining enough for a full movie escapism — albeit not the fairest of them all.