Why Disney’s Classic Remake of ‘Snow White’ Falls Flat

The box office performance of Disney’s ‘Snow White’ (2025) fell short of projections, which many fans expected.  Lead actress Rachel Zegler’s remarks during promotional interviews caused controversy and raised doubts about how the movie would handle the beloved tale.  While some thought ‘Snow White’ would be dramatically different from her 1937 counterpart, Zegler’s interpretation ultimately remained loyal to the character’s benign and gentle disposition.  This, however, was insufficient to redeem the movie from its uninspired romance and poor storyline.

‘Snow White’ presents Jonathan, a criminal who happens to run across the princess while robbing the palace, in place of the customary prince.  Their relationship, in which a protected princess and a streetwise outlaw eventually fall in love, is eerily similar to that of ‘Rapunzel’ and Flynn Rider from ‘Tangled’ (2010).  Although the movie aims to create a closer connection between the main characters than the original animation, Jonathan’s character is shallow.  Jonathan’s past is still a mystery, in contrast to Flynn, whose orphanage brought emotional weight to his path.

Image Courtesy: Entertainment Weekly

Despite its flaws, the film does feature the iconic kiss scene, which is a relief for those who were afraid Disney would delete it completely.  It was regrettable, though, that ‘Snow White’s iconic song, ‘Someday My Prince Will Come,’ was left out.  ‘Snow White’ chose to remove this crucial component, further separating itself from the animation classic, in contrast to earlier Disney live-action remakes that kept their princesses’ well-known song routines.

 In the end, Zegler did a good job of capturing ‘Snow White’s generosity, therefore her performance wasn’t the problem.  A weak narrative, inappropriate song selections, and an undeveloped love interest were the film’s true detriments.  It wasn’t one of Disney’s best live-action remakes, but it wasn’t its worst either.

–Farheen Ali