The live action versions of Disney’s back catalogue animated feature film continues with what is arguably their most iconic film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves the film that was a huge gamble back in 1937 but paid off and gave old Walt the money to start his empire. It’s an indicator of a change in times that this live action version is now simply titled ‘Disney’s Snow White’ making no mention of her vertically challenged friends for risk of causing offence and for many they will see this of a forewarning of woke-dom.
But this starts off traditionally enough with the book of the tale opening up and beginning with the legend, ‘Once upon a time…..’ and we’re into the scene setting backstory of Snow White, a little girl to a beloved mother who dies tragically young. Her father remarries a conniving woman out for power and influence only too keen to see him off to fight for his kingdom and for him never to return – it’s a character often referred to as, ‘My idol’ by Meghan Markle. It’s then that the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) vanquishes Snow White (Rachel Zegler) to castle cleaning detail whilst she purloins the riches of the country. Besides greed and power the Evil Queen is vain with all too familiar magic mirror being asked on a daily basis, ‘Who is the fairest of them all?’ with the answer always being that it is her until one day the mirror tells her it is Snow White.
Sticking to the familiar story the Wicked Witch orders a guard to take her into the forest and kill her which he duly agrees to that first part but can’t bring himself to close the deal and allows her to run off deep into the forest where she comes across the seven little fellas cosy cottage duly falling asleep only to wake up surrounded by them. Already glimpsed in the trailer but those seven are not the rumoured ‘mythical creatures’ or a politically correct mix of ethnicities but seven CGI dwarves we know all too well – except when you do a pub quiz and have to name all seven.
It’s really from hereon that the story diverges from the beloved original, yes the wicked witch does poison Snow White and yes she is awoken with a kiss but not by a prince but by Jonathan the leader of woodland bandits resisting the rule of the evil Queen. And it Snow White who leads them and the villagers in opposition to over throw the tyrannical Queen’s rule. It’s this female empowerment that has got fans up in arms and yet really it’s all so gracefully done that there’s little really to take umbrage with.
But the problems are two fold. It is overlong falling victim to that curse of modern musicals – the wholly forgettable song. The old favourites are still there, ‘Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho’, ‘Whistle while you work’ although that ode to impotent royalty, ‘Someday my prince will come’ has been dropped but there’s a raft of new, wholly unnecessary and instantly forgettable songs that add nothing but to pad out the film. And then of course there’s the dwarves themselves. All CGI which seems to defeat the point of having a live action film. The opportunity to hire small actors ( Can we even use the ‘D’ word today?’) seems a missed opportunity and as illustrated with Terry Gilliam’ sublime fantasy, ‘Time Bandits’ their interplay was one of that films many highlights as it could have been here. Quite why the makers have resorted to CGI (boosting the films budget purportedly to in excess of $200m) is anyone’s guess especially when two such actual small actors are cast in speaking roles as part of Jonathan’s woodland gang.
That aside there’s enough here to charms young ones – the woodland animals (again CGI) are adorably cute, and Zegler is fine as Snow White with a bob haircut of fluctuating style and length and it’s perhaps Gal Gadot who excels in full pantomime villain mode and though it will inevitably disappoint purists Disney’s Snow White is nicely played if a little too long.
related feature : Terry Gilliam talks about his idea for a ‘Time Bandits’ sequel
related feature : Actress Natalie Burn talks dwarves & chainsaws in ‘Til Death Do Us Part’….
Here’s the Snow White trailer…..
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