Disney’s Snow White receives mixed reaction from critics after backlash

Before its release in cinemas across the UK later this week, Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, and Andrew Burnap’s Snow White, Disney’s film has received mixed reviews from critics.

Critics have shared their thoughts on the live-action remake of Snow White ahead of its release in cinemas across the UK later this week. The reviews range from describing the new film as “exhaustingly awful” to “enchantingly refreshed”.

The Disney film – which is a ‘reimagining’ of the animinated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) – stars Rachel Zegler as the titular princess. The film – which also stars the likes of alongside the likes of Gal Gadot and Andrew Burnap – has faced controversy almost since being announced.

As reported by PA this week, some reviewers gave the remake one star but both the BBC and The Telegraph awarded the movie three stars. The Metro went further and offered the remake a four star rating in its recent review.

The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw called it an “exhaustingly awful reboot,” criticising the decision to axe “the prince,” who was replaced by a character called Jonathan, played by Andrew, and make seven supernatural creatures with CGI. Giving it one star, he suggests Disney were “all too obviously agonising and backlash-second-guessing,” while needing to keep the brand identity of the princess in a yellow frock with puffy-sleeved shoulders, and Gal as the Evil Queen with a “pointy dark crown and skull-hugging black balaclava”.

He claimed that the CGI dwarfs are a duplication of Jonathan, a Robin Hood-like character with his “own gang of seven live-action bandits” where dwarfs are represented. You’ll want to put your head in your hands, he said, “because this fudged, pseudo-progressive approach is so tiring.”

Kevin Maher at the Times also gave it one star, saying Disney has “trashed its crown jewel and its reputation”. He said it was “a new low for cultural desecration,” and the studio “infantilises global audiences with sanctimonious life lessons”.

However, Tori Brazier of the Metro praised the film, calling it “unsurprisingly one of]Disney’s] strongest and most worthwhile ‘reimaginings’ to date.” She claimed that Gal, the co-star, and West Side Story star Rachel “once again proves herself an enchanting talent with a voice that can be compared to the original Disney princess” and that she is “clearly enjoying herself in the role of an iconic camp villain.”

BBC critic Nicholas Barber said the “story is cluttered, the tone is muddled, and the pacing is off,” but that “doesn’t make the film a disaster”. “In some ways, the identity crisis is what makes it worth seeing,” he added. “But this muddled production will be enjoyed more by politics and cinema students than by children who are hoping to be enchanted by Disney magic.”

The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin said that it was not “too woke – and better than” the hit musical Wicked (2024). He also said in his review that “there’s no real subversion or ‘girl-bossing’ for the sake of it in Disney’s live-action remake.”

The release of Disney’s Snow White comes following various controversies and criticism since it was first announced. Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage, who’s an actor with dwarfism, had notably said that it was “f***ing backward” to have “seven dwarfs living in a cave together”.

In a 2022 episode of the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, he stated: “They were very proud to have a Latino actress play Snow White. However, you are still retelling Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Take a step back and consider your actions. I find it to be illogical. You’re progressing in some ways, but you’re still telling the f*cking backward story of seven dwarfs living together in a cave.

Disney later addressed the criticism in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter and other outlets. A spokesperson for Disney shared at the time: “To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community.”

It was reported the following year that the dwarfs would be referred to as “magical creatures” instead. There’s recently been criticism of the decision to have made the characters CGI, rather than showcase actors with dwarfism – which one critic branded “discriminating in a sense”.

Among the other backlashes that the film has faced include over star Rachel being cast in the role of Snow White as an actor of Latin descent. The casting has however been defended for providing diversity and Rachel told Variety in 2022: “You don’t normally see Snow Whites that are of Latin descent. […] You don’t particularly see people who look like me or are me playing roles like that.”

On Friday, Snow White will be available in UK theaters.

Source: Mirror