Snow White (2025)
An incredible retelling of a classic tale!
The Quick Details
Title: Snow White
Release date: March 21, 2025
Directed by: Marc Webb
Staring: Rachel Zegler, Andrew Burnap, and Gal Gadot
Summary: “Disney’s Snow White” is a live-action musical reimagining of the classic 1937 film. The magical music adventure journeys back to the timeless story with beloved characters Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy. (https://movies.disney.com/snow-white-2025)
Rating: PG — Violence, some peril, thematic elements and brief rude humor
Genre: Fantasy / Family / Musical
How did I watch? At a Regal Theater on 20 March 2025 somewhere in the Carolinas
The Awesome Review
Wow. Just… wow! Snow White has managed to clinch a spot in my top ten favorite movies of all time. Trust me when I say I do not make that statement lightly. I know I love all movies, I mean that’s the entire point of these reviews. But I was absolutely blown away by how phenomenal this movie was on all fronts: acting, music, cinematography, directing, story, everything!
I have wondered how best to write this review. I don’t want to hype it up so much or give away too many of the masterful points such that people walk out of the theater complaining that I spoiled the fun or overhyped it to the extreme. So let me start off with a caveat: I fully expect that not all of you will agree with my opinion. Many (maybe most) won’t be going back to the theater to see it again (and hopefully again after that time permitting). But I’m going to be honest: I absolutely loved this movie and am so excited to see it a second, a third, a fourth time!
With that said, let me highlight a few key points that stood out to me.
First, the original songs written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are phenomenal. I have been a big fan of theirs since I first heard them in La La Land in 2016. My love of their music was solidified with the resounding success of The Greatest Showman in 2017. Now, in 2025, they have wowed me again with the new songs for Snow White. There is a depth to each of the songs, they lyrics are spellbinding, the music mesmerizing, and it all moves us forward so smoothly through the plot. The songs help us understand the characters, feel their hopes and dreams, their desires and motivations. There isn’t a single song that felt unnecessary — in fact, I wouldn’t have complained about having one or two more! I love Pasek and Paul’s work, and this did not disappoint.
The music wouldn’t be a complete success, however, if the cast did not rise to the occasion. Rachel Zegler (Snow White) and Gal Gadot (Evil Queen) performed beautifully. Their voices, their portrayals fit the characters perfectly. Snow White never once felt like a damsel in distress. She didn’t show up at the dwarfs house to become their maid. She didn’t fulfill the old archetype of an “ideal woman”. She felt like a real young woman. A woman whose young childhood was upended by the death of her mother, the arrival of a stepmother, then the disappearance of her father. Her entrapment, both physically and mentally/emotionally, as a servant in the Queen’s castle felt realistic. Her wishes weren’t idle fancies of a man to rescue her, it was to save her people. To bring back the world her parents had inhabited. To bring hope and joy back into the kingdom.
Even the moment when the Huntsman was about to kill Snow White was revealing to her character and true to her desires. She was scared, even terrified, but she wasn’t cowering, waiting for the inevitable. She connected with the Huntsman as a person, instead. She sought understanding. Not a “please don’t”, but a “why?”
I took my three year old son to the theater with me, and throughout the movie, I couldn’t help but look at him and hope he could one day grow up to be the same kind of person as this Snow White. Fearless, fair, brave, true. If there were more people in the world like her, this world would be a far better place.
And for the Evil Queen, Gal Gadot was brilliant! A far different role from Wonder Woman, but she shined in such a dastardly way. Equal parts beautiful and terrifying. She even had my son cowering in his chair every time she appeared on the screen (as is only proper for one so evil).1
The seven dwarfs were an absolute delight. Each clearly resembled their name, as they did in the original. Sneezy was sneezy, Grumpy was grumpy. But there was more to them than that. Especially Dopey, he was the true star of the bunch. Snow White sees so much more to him, and finally gives him a chance to shine in a way his six brothers never allowed him to. He wasn’t shown as dumb, he wasn’t a caricature of someone with a disability. He was an earnest, loving dwarf in need of love and time. The creators of the film did a great job at breaking the stereotypes and allowing the dwarfs to shine on their own.
Then there is the “prince,” which in this case is not really a prince but a bit of a bandit. Played by Andrew Burnap, Jonathan is an incredibly likable character who isn’t immediately head over heels for the princess. He doesn’t seek her out for her beauty and doesn’t just kiss her as a stranger in the end. Snow White and Jonathan work well together. Their love story goes beyond attraction long before they actually kiss.
And their kiss isn’t the end of the movie! There is so much meaning, so much depth to these characters and their stories. I could go on and on, but, again, don’t want to spoil too much. At the end of the day, I felt like the story in this version of Snow White successfully takes the classic fairytale and brings it into the modern age.
The cinematography was beautiful as well. The sets, the locations, the lighting, it all flowed together seamlessly. The castle, the forest, the village, the dwarfs home, it all added to the magic of the film. I was engrossed in each and every moment of the story — anxious to see what happened next as the cinematography pulled me from one scene to the next. Each piece, each background element, was thoughtful and precise. It felt authentic to the time and place of the original fairytale of Snow White from the Brothers Grimm (though certainly Disney-ified to not be quite so dark).
All of those background elements could have told a story all on their own, but when subtly baked in with the actors’ incredible performances, the delightful choreography, the outstanding music, the moving story, and everything else? That’s where we achieve a near perfect film that I fall in love with. And I certainly fell in love with this one.
Once you’ve seen Snow White, let me know in the comments whether you agree with me or not! Because this film is absolutely certified awesome!
I feel like I should clarify here that he was cowering in his seat, but it wasn’t a particularly terrifying movie. He didn’t need to or want to shut his eyes and we didn’t need to leave the theater. Coraline was a no go for my son, but this one wasn’t a problem. Other kids might feel differently, though. Trust your instincts with your own children.
I did not expect such a glowing recommendation for this one. I will have to give it a try.