"Snow White" – The 2025 Movie Review

The 1937 Walt Disney version of the 1812 German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", is considered one of the greatest animated films in motion picture history. And after seeing the 2025 live-action production of Disney's "Snow White", there is no doubt that the 1937 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" version is not only one of the greatest animated films in motion picture history, but the best film version, both live-action and animated, of the classic fairy tale, ever.

While rated PG, the 2025 version of "Snow White" actually has an increased amount of violence in it that doesn't seem entirely appropriate for children. The production, while billed as a live-action version of the classic fairy tale, is more accurately described as a computer-generated image version of the story. For not only are the dwarfs CGI images, but all of the deer, bluebirds, squirrels, and other woodland creatures featured in the movie are computer generated images, as well. And not well-done CGI images, either.

The 2025 version of "Snow White" opened in theaters across the country on March 21st, 2025. And it did manage to be the number one highest grossing film over the box office weekend. However, the overall earnings for it are lower than projected. Especially, given the fact that it had a 270 million production budget. Which while the staggeringly high number of dollars spent by Disney on the movie makes it one of the most expensive movies ever made, the amount of money that went into the making of the film isn't reflected in the final product. For the 2025 version of "Snow White" comes across as a low grade subpar "B" production, not unlike the 2012 film "Mirror, Mirror" starring Lilly Collins in the role of Snow White.

There has been some controversy over the selection of the American actress Rachel Zegler in the role of "Snow White" due to her Columbian heritage on her mother's side. But, this concern over her heritage for the fairy tale heroine who is described "as white as snow" is misplaced. Hollywood actually has a history of selecting actresses of Latin American heritage to portray porcelain brunettes as in Lynda Carter in the 1970s "Wonder Woman" television series. With Lynda Carter being of Mexican heritage.

But, in all honesty, Rachel Zegler's casting in the role of Snow White is a definite drawback in the 2025 "Snow White" film, not due to her heritage, but due to her poor posture and lack of grace in her movements. Zegler also has a prominent mole close to her chin that is featured throughout the film rather than removed digitally. Which would normally be a nonissue, except that it is a distraction given that Snow White is described as the fairest of them all, both from within and without.

The casting of Gal Gadot as the evil stepmother in 2025's "Snow White" is perfect. Known for her own portrayal of "Wonder Woman" in the DC Extended Universe films, the Israeli actress really shines as the classic, but aging beauty, that one associates with the conniving evil stepmother in the fairy tale. While the prince in the fairy tale version of Snow White is replaced in the 2025 movie by a forest bandit, the forest bandit is convincingly portrayed by the Yale educated American actor, Andrew Burnap.

The 2025 movie does do some nods to the classic melodies from the 1937 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" version in its renditions of "Hi Ho Hi Ho Its Off To Work We Go" that is sung by the dwarfs as well as in its rendition of "Whistle While You work". But, overall, the music from the film is a very unimpressive repetition of the same pop melody repeated with different words throughout the movie. The best singing voice in the movie comes from the mother of Snow White, portrayed by Lorena Andrea Mateo, a British actress of Columbian descent, as well. But other than that, the singing voices throughout the film are untrained, dull, and uninspiring.

The running time for "Snow White" is an hour and forty-nine minutes. However, it feels much longer. It takes a while for the plot to develop and the characters are not the most relatable. With Snow White and the bandit, Johnathan, bickering some before they realize their fondness for one another. While the message of being "Fearless, Fair, Brave, and True" is a good one. With the poor quality of 2025's "Snow White", the message is lost. In sum, the 2025 film version of "Snow White" is only worth seeing if one has to assuage their curiosity about the movie and has little else to do.