Dumb Things We Can’t Ignore In Snow White

Disney has experienced a great deal of financial success with their live-action remakes, despite critics viewing them as lifeless replicas of the originals. However, the upcoming “Snow White” remake featuring Rachel Zegler has been a subject of heated debate since its announcement. Some criticism has been unfair, such as those objecting to Zegler’s casting as Snow White due to her mixed heritage (half Colombian and half Polish). This has led some to perceive Disney as attempting to broaden their content by having a person of partial white descent play a character who is traditionally white. The controversy surrounding Zegler escalated further when she stated during the 2022 D23 event that the prince in the original film stalks Snow White, emphasizing the ongoing debate about representation and diversity within Disney’s productions.

Before the trailer was even released, some parts of the internet were already labeling the movie as “woke”. However, despite the negative sentiment towards the lead actor and the numerous controversies surrounding the project for years, the film has been a flop at the box office for Disney, known as the Mouse House. In essence, it’s fair to say that “Snow White” has been a catastrophe. The movie, unfortunately, manages to hinder itself in several ways, making it hard to find any reason to be upset about it from a filmmaking perspective, as it does a commendable job overall. Here are some of the questionable choices and inconsistencies found within “Snow White”.

Making the dwarfs CGI instead of casting actors with dwarfism

Apart from the casting of Rachel Zegler as Snow White, the upcoming “Snow White” film has faced criticism concerning its portrayal of the seven dwarves. In an episode of the “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast in 2022, Peter Dinklage expressed his concerns about Disney’s approach to the dwarves. He pointed out that while Disney is trying to be inclusive by casting Zegler as Snow White, they are also perpetuating a seemingly contradictory narrative by depicting the dwarves living together in a cave. Dinklage questioned Disney’s actions, stating “It doesn’t make sense to me. You’re progressive in one way but then you’re still telling an outdated story about seven dwarves living together. What are you doing, man?

As a fan, I wasn’t thrilled when I heard Dinklage didn’t approve of dwarfs in the storyline. However, other actors with dwarfism felt strongly that it could open up opportunities for them in a high-profile project. Unfortunately, Disney took an unusual route and left everyone puzzled – they kept the seven dwarfs in the movie, but made them CGI characters, which gives them a look reminiscent of their 1937 versions. It’s a perplexing approach to this controversy.

As a dedicated fan, I find it intriguing to note that Martin Klebba, who has dwarfism, lends his voice to Grumpy in Disney’s Snow White, while the other dwarfs are voiced by actors not affected by the condition. It seems that Disney had an opportunity to be progressive by casting actors with dwarfism for these roles, which could have opened up more opportunities for them in the future. However, their choice didn’t seem to please everyone.

Gal Gadot’s evil queen song

As a fan, I’d like to shift the focus away from most of Gal Gadot’s acting in “Snow White,” where her expressions seemed devoid of emotion and her line delivery was peculiar. Instead, let’s zero in on her captivating musical number as the Evil Queen – “All is Fair.” While Disney villain songs are often enchanting, like the lively “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from “The Little Mermaid,” or hauntingly beautiful like “Hellfire” from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “All is Fair” falls short. It attempts to evoke a sultry atmosphere, but Gadot’s performance doesn’t quite hit the mark in this song.

This song stands out distinctly from the others in the soundtrack, struggling to blend smoothly. Other fresh tracks share this trait, but “Waiting on a Wish” seems to fit better. It’s important to note that “All is Fair” attempts some socio-political commentary, as suggested by its lyrics such as “All is fair when you wear the crown.” This can be seen as a modern take on Richard Nixon’s quote: “When the leader does it, that means it’s not wrong.

Instead of the Evil Queen offering good advice, it might be more accurate to say she advocates ruthless ambition: “Nice deeds won’t get you anywhere / Aspiring women must be cunning women / And they certainly know how to enjoy themselves.” It seems that her perspective on ruling is rooted in self-proclaimed ambition rather than a dictatorial desire to control, but the film fails to provide convincing reasoning for this portrayal. The quote creates an inconsistent blend of ideas and ultimately leaves viewers unsatisfied with the character development.

Jonathan’s song makes him seem like a total jerk

Instead of criticizing Gal Gadot, let’s shift our attention to a fresh tune from the new “Snow White” production titled “Princess Problems.” This song is predominantly sung by Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), the bandit who steps in as Snow White’s true love when the prince is absent. Living in the forest with his fellow rebels, they maintain hope that the king is still alive, although he isn’t. When Snow White releases him and they meet again in the woods after she flees, Jonathan sings a light-hearted song about how there are bigger issues at hand than her personal troubles. The challenge lies in the fact… there really aren’t.

In simpler terms, The lyrics sung by Jonathan, “That sounds an awful lot like princess problems / Finally learnin’ that life’s not fair,” don’t fit well in the context of the movie. This is because Snow White and Jonathan are already familiar with each other, and Jonathan should be aware of Snow White’s predicament in the Queen’s palace. Moreover, just before the song begins, Snow White explicitly informs him that the Queen intends to harm her. Therefore, it appears as though Snow White is well-aware that life isn’t fair, making the song’s message unnecessary and potentially insulting to her situation.

In the 2010s, numerous articles analyzed Disney princesses and their stories, including how Belle from “Beauty and the Beast” may have developed Stockholm Syndrome. The piece “Princess Problems” seems to follow a similar pattern, criticizing Snow White. However, it’s puzzling as to why Jonathan would sing this song to Snow White after witnessing that her life, at least in the current situation, is far from ideal.

Jonathan’s outfit is way too modern for the movie

In the movie, it’s clear that Jonathan’s observation of Snow White’s privilege early on sets the stage for his overall struggle within the film. He often appears mismatched with the sincere tone of the movie, delivering witty lines when the atmosphere is usually serious. This dissonance can also be seen in his choice of clothing – he wears a green denim jacket and hoodie, which stands out starkly against Snow White’s traditional blue, red, and yellow dress from the 1937 animated film.

The characters seem very similar to their movie counterparts, except for a few instances where their clothing appears more like costumes for Halloween than everyday wear. However, Jonathan stands out as he looks too contemporary compared to the others. Hoodies may have originated in the 12th century, but even those were more like cloaks. Hoodies only became popular much later, in the 20th century. Since Snow White’s story is likely set in the 1500s based on the clothing style, a hoodie wouldn’t have been appropriate attire for her.

Jonathan’s attire gives off an impression as if he’s meant for a stage production that satirizes fairy tale musicals on Off-Broadway. The 2025 adaptation of “Snow White” attempts to honor its roots while infusing contemporary elements, which results in visual inconsistencies, making it seem like a haphazard amalgamation of disparate pieces. This issue is characteristic of most Disney live-action remakes, where there’s usually no unifying style.

Seven forgettable bandits

Although we don’t intend to repeatedly critique Andrew Burnap’s character, Jonathan, in “Snow White,” it’s worth noting that he plays a significant role in some of the film’s less engaging aspects. In fact, Jonathan is paired with six other bandits who seem to have minimal impact on the storyline. Two of these bandits share a romantic subplot, while one is presented as an expert crossbow marksman but fails to make much of an impression beyond that. Unfortunately, none of them contribute substantially to the plot progression. We suspect there may be a valid reason for this lack of narrative relevance.

In essence, it seems plausible that Disney initially intended to deviate from the traditional seven dwarfs in Snow White, given Peter Dinklage’s hints regarding his role and the casting of George Appleby. It’s possible that the original plan was for Snow White to interact more with seven bandits instead. However, as the production progressed, Disney might have had second thoughts and added the seven dwarfs back into the mix.

Sure thing!

While this is merely conjecture, it could be why the outlaws appear to be largely idle in the film. The character of Jonathan serves a purpose as a possible romantic interest for Snow White, allowing her more screen time before he revives her with a kiss. It would seem peculiar if he were spending all that time alone in the woods. In essence, the other bandits could have had more significant roles since their names are likely forgotten by viewers at the film’s conclusion.

Grumpy loses his character arc

In the 1937 classic movie “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the character who steals the show is Grumpy, voiced by Pinto Colvig. As his name suggests, he’s the cranky dwarf who wishes Snow White would leave his dwelling. His attitude towards her can seem rather misogynistic at times, such as when he declares, “All women are toxic! They’re filled with deceitful tricks!” Yet, by the end of the film, a change occurs; he develops feelings for Snow White and even sheds tears upon thinking she might be dead.

2025’s version of “Snow White” portrays Grumpy differently compared to traditional tales. Initially, he harbors no affection for Snow White, but his feelings change after she consumes the Evil Queen’s poisoned apple. Unlike other adaptations, there isn’t a significant transformation or growth for Grumpy; instead, he suddenly develops an affinity for her with no clear development. This may be due to Dopey, played by Andrew Barth Feldman, receiving more character attention in the live-action remake, leading to his own arc. In this storyline, Snow White helps Dopey overcome his fear of expressing himself, and he eventually becomes confident and vocal. While Dopey’s journey is well-crafted, it appears that Grumpy’s lack of development detracts from the overall climax, making the ending feel somewhat underwhelming.

It’s plausible that the creators reduced Grumpy’s presence in the movie to prevent him from making offensive comments. This is similar to how Netflix’s live-action “Avatar: The Last Airbender” revised Sokka’s sexist views from the animated series, allowing for his character growth. In the original, acknowledging and correcting these attitudes was a crucial part of Sokka’s development. It appears that in the 2025 film, instead of showing Grumpy learning from his mistakes, they chose to eliminate this aspect of his character entirely.

The Evil Queen’s poisoned apple no longer makes sense

2025’s adaptation of “Snow White” might give Jonathan a larger role than the prince had in the classic tale, yet this expansion could potentially diminish one of the story’s most memorable scenes. The Wicked Queen, determined to harm Snow White, disguises herself as an old hag to deceive the princess into consuming a toxic apple, causing her to fall into an everlasting sleep that can only be broken by true love’s kiss. In Disney’s 1937 version, the Queen assumes Snow White will be buried before anyone could administer true love’s kiss, as the prince is almost insignificant in the story, which makes her reasoning plausible considering she believes no one truly loves Snow White.

By significantly spotlighting Jonathan in the remake, it seems rather foolish on the Queen’s part for persisting with this strategy, given her knowledge of his affection for Snow White. Instead of eliminating him permanently to prevent any interference, she confines him to a seemingly secure prison. Predictably, he manages to escape and eventually reunites with Snow White, thereby breaking the curse.

In the original movie, making a curse breakable by true love’s kiss was a significant risk, but it was more comprehensible. However, the remake, by expanding Snow White’s romantic storyline, makes the Queen appear rather foolish. It seems odd that she didn’t have other spells at her disposal to eliminate Snow White without creating a potential undoing of her own actions. Alternatively, one might think that instead of using a curse, the Queen could have just killed Snow White directly. She had previously desired Snow White’s heart in a box; it seems strange that she would take such risks a second time around.

Making Snow White more complex with… adjectives

At the start of the film, Snow White receives a heart-shaped necklace from her father as a symbol of courage, bravery, honesty – traits she and the viewers should emulate throughout the story. Given that it’s a kids’ movie, reinforcing themes is understandable. However, this isn’t the first time Disney has been quite explicit with its message in live-action remakes.

In the live-action version of “Cinderella,” the main character is advised to be brave and kind. Similarly, in the 2020 film “Mulan,” the words “loyal,” “brave,” and “true” are engraved on Mulan’s (Yifei Liu) sword. It seems repetitive that these movies continually emphasize which qualities their princesses should embody, making it seem like they are merely reiterating obvious traits for their protagonists.

As a gamer, I’m not here to judge or criticize sticking to those lessons. After all, being brave and kind is something we all should strive for, and being fearless and loyal are traits worth emulating. However, it’s hard to ignore the fact that these Disney live-action remakes seem to be using the same playbooks time and again. For instance, Snow White and Mulan, who were unique characters in their animated forms, appear to blend together when it comes to their live-action adaptations, at least where their heroic qualities are concerned.

Inconsistent tones

Based on numerous accounts and whispers, the film “Snow White” experienced multiple revisions, although we can’t definitively say what alterations were made compared to the initial version. However, from the final cut of the movie, it appears to be a disjointed blend of tones and themes that struggles to establish its identity.

In this modern retelling, it seeks to pay tribute to the classic tale in certain aspects by having Rachel Zegler don a replica of Snow White’s gown. The storyline introduces political undertones, as Snow White inspires the villagers to resist their oppressive ruler. It aims for a balance between staying true to the original and offering something fresh. Love is significant but not central to Snow White’s journey, and while dwarfs are present, they are portrayed by actors who aren’t of short stature. The soundtrack includes beloved “Snow White” tunes as well as songs that seem to challenge traditional princess storylines, such as the song “Princess Problems.

The movie version of “Snow White” struggles to find its identity. Unlike other Disney remakes, which manage to keep the essence of the original while adding an additional song or a few new scenes, Snow White attempts to cater to a variety of audiences. However, this approach results in a film that fails to impress any particular group, leaving viewers feeling unsatisfied.

2025-04-02 15:31