Disney’s 2025 live action remake of Snow White has opened in cinemas here; and we can finally put aside all the reports of friction between the two lead stars - Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, forget the backlash of not hiring real dwarves and utilizing CGI, and put to bed all the controversies surrounding the production of this update. Thankfully, we can just simply watch the film on it’s own merits. 

Is it the ‘woke, merely inspired by the cartoon classic’ that was reported? By and large, that is true; and for the young children who’ll be watching Snow White for the very first time, it won’t really matter how faithful this new version is to the classic. As Disney has intended with all their live action remakes, the remake will become the authoritative version for a whole new generation. 

So from the outset, we get the explanation for why the infant was named Snow White, then we fast forward to the entry of evil stepmother, and as an adult, the persecuted Snow White, slave within her own castle. We meet Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), a self-styled Robin Hood, who basically takes the place of Prince Charming. So something more democratic as a love interest, and no future royal in-breeding. 

When we move to the Enchanted Forest sequence, it is properly chilling and could be scary for the children in the audience, but it doesn’t last long. It’s immediately offset by the cuteness of the forest animals. We meet the ‘dwarves’ (they’re never referred to as dwarves), and as CGI creations, we can’t complain, but I raise the observation that Dopey looks too much like Alfred Newman of MAD magazine, and I couldn’t ‘un-see’ that. 

And if Disney was being so sensitive about casting real life dwarves, why have one token dwarf among the band of ‘socially-conscious’ thieves led by Jonathan? That had me confused, and wondering just how often Disney had to re-think things just to theoretically offend no-one. 

As a result, there is a muddled tone of do we want to re-create a children’s classic in live action, or bring to the screen a new, ‘woke’ story about inspiring the oppressed, and rising against evil power and dominance. Time and again, that theme of freeing oneself from the shackles of persecution is brought up, via different characters - from Snow White, to Jonathan, the huntsman, and the villagers.

As for the music, this film keeps Heigh Ho and Whistle While You Work, but jettisons Someday My Prince Will Come, because there is no Prince. Prince Jonny just doesn’t roll off our tongues; so sorry, Jonathan, no royal title for you. Among the new songs, the duet Princess Problems would be the charmer, and the rest are cookie-cutter wanna-be Wicked or Les Miz.

Does it all work? Yes, in much part thanks to Rachel Zegler as Snow White, and the adequate chemistry she has with Burnap as Jonathan. No thanks to Gal Gadot as the stepmother, as the magic mirror has more conviction in delivering lines. 

It’s enjoyable enough and watchable; but you have to rise above the conflicted tone of this remake, and enjoy seeing Alfred Newman come to cinematic life. Enhance the movie experience and watch this on an SM IMAX screen. Snow White opened in Metro Manila cinemas Wednesday, March 19.