“This was my father’s kingdom, a place of fairness, but the queen took it all away.”

Being a Disney baby, Snow White has been my favorite animated film since I first saw it, besides 101 Dalmatians (the original). Disney has been on this animation-to-live-action tangent since The Jungle Book in 1994. And despite popular critics’ opinions, it has been doing a pretty good job thus far.

Anywho, I took a little excursion to the movie theatre last Sunday to see how this live-action film compared to Disney’s first full-length original color animated version. I’d heard and read so many mixed reviews that I just had to see it for myself.

I didn’t go with any pre-judgmental ideas about the script or the actors. I went to do a comparative analysis.

In my opinion, the scriptwriters took a lot of creative liberties filling in the blanks, such as veering away from the prince and replacing him with a thief and taking the innocence away from Snow White, making her more of a refined rebel, which put a different spin on it. And they used CGI dwarfs instead of the real thing. But the infamous song “Heigh Ho” and the historic visual of their shadows marching to the jewel mines took me back down memory lane.

However, I found myself rooting for Jonathan (Andrew Burnap). Because he kind of reminds you of Robin Hood. Yet was still able to find that place of nostalgia, somewhere between the sheer joy, tears, and hoorahs. The evil queen was just as I remembered from the original cartoon, constantly asking the infamous question… “Magic mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” While treating Snow White as a slave and conspiring a devious plot to kill her by having the huntsman take her deep into the enchanted forest, and commanding him to bring back her heart in that iconic chest.

Rachel Zegler (Snow White) did an outstanding job in this role, exemplifying the progression of the Snow White story—no longer as a victim but a victor. In this version, she receives her name from surviving a snowstorm. Throughout this entire film, we see her fighting to survive and reclaim a position that was already hers, from a wicked step-mother (Gal Gadot) who was a witch in sheep’s clothing. This is the strand of humanity’s struggle in the storyline that connects us all on one level or another.

To me, the prince did come in the form of a thief who truly loved and admired an obscured princess whose heart was pure as snow.

We give Snow White

Director: Marc Webb
Writers: Erin Cressida Wilson, Jacob Grimm, and Wilhelm Grimm.
Stars: Rachel Zegler, Emilia Faucher, and Gal Gadot.

If the film was considered a flop, it was largely due to Disney’s haste to make a profit and not taking all creative narratives into account. Something Walt Disney would’ve never done. Or perhaps we’re living in an era where morality has become archaic for some, in light of the increasingly dark animated entertainment being introduced to our children today. Or, trolling for the negative is the new wave from TikTok to Review, who knew?

At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed the acting, sets, and vocals immensely. The movie, as did the costumes, stayed true to the core of the original animated version—good versus evil.

For one cinematic moment, I recaptured my childhood. A place of happier times. Which has always been Disney’s ultimate trademark. And on that note, I will say to the new Disney corporation, whoever they are, you must realize if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Pure family entertainment!

© Rhema International 2025. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rhema International.