Snow White is rated PG by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for violence, some peril, thematic elements and brief rude humor.
Ever wondered what it’s like to live in a fairy tale world where singing solves problems, evil queens are obsessed with being the “fairest of them all,” and dwarfs might just become your best friends? Disney’s latest live-action adaptation, Snow White, brings the classic 1937 animated film to life with a modern twist, blending the magic of storybook fantasy with Broadway-style musical numbers. Directed by Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man, (500) Days of Summer), this reimagining of the beloved tale is a mix of dazzling visuals, heartfelt performances, and toe-tapping tunes—but does it live up to the original’s legacy?
The movie starts in a lively, joyful kingdom with elements of the Snow-White fairytale where the main character Snow White (Rachel Zegler) was raised in a progressive environment where women and people of color are treated fairly and respected. Her father and mother, the king and queen respectively, are always kind to their subjects and everyone feels special. But when Snow White’s mom dies, Dad gets remarried to a new queen, and Gal Gadot is not exactly lovely. The Evil Queen, motivated by her vanity and hunger for power, sacrifices the king and seizes the throne, resulting in darkness enveloping the kingdom. The beautiful Snow White, now a young lady, is confined within the castle with very limited contact with the outside world. The Queen has an unhealthy fascination with her mirror and she is fixated on being the fairest in the land, this leads her to become villainous and murderous towards Snow White.
Meet Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), a con artist who breaks into the castle to free Snow White. Their relations is fast and when the Evil Queen orders the huntsman (Kian, played by Ansu Kabia) to kill Snow White he assists her to escape into the woods. One day, while wandering in the woods, Snow White meets a group of funny seven dwarfs who are not only diamond miners but who also become her new foster parents. Al this while having to hide from the evil queen who just wants to kill Snow White and be the only queen in the land.
The movie starts with a lot of enthusiasm and goes straight into the musical aspect of the show. A highlight of the film is the song writing of the Oscar winning Benj Pasek and Justin Paul from the critically acclaimed films La La Land and The Greatest Showman. It infinitely adds to the film by showing that Snow White’s journey is not just a Disney fairytale but a realistic experience of succeeding with all her struggles. The visuals are stunning throughout, one finds glowing trees, cute animals and special effects of dwarfs. Yes, in fact, even Dopey has some kind of resemblance with that guy from the movies that says “What, me worry?” Secondly, the visual aspect of the movie gives off a sort of Thomas Kinkade painting type of vibe where everything looks magical and astounding.
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However, not everything is as bright as it looks. Despite the good acting from Zegler and Burnap, Gadot’s Evil Queen is largely unsatisfactory. She struggles with this aspect because the character is menacing but the role also requires a certain level of excess, which doesn’t suit her well; her musical numbers are… subpar to say the least. It does falter in pacing occasionally, and some sequences are drawn out more than they need to be, though this is especially so in the climactic segment. Jonathan’s bandit friends feel like they were introduced solely to create action but really only serve to drag out the book rather than build up tension. Yet, the seven dwarfs contribute lots of humor and movement, especially when they sing ‘Heigh-Ho’ and when they are shown racing in the mine cart – both of which are a good reference to the first animation film.
The film is entertaining and funny at moments, but also dramatic and suspenseful more like a ride on a rollercoaster. Sometimes, you are cracking up because of fun ny scenes involving the dwarfs or even rooting for Snow White and Jonathan love interest; then, the next moment, you are on the edge of your seat waiting for the wickedness of the Evil Queen. Where the movie truly excel, and falters at the same time, is the finale which is very action packed but slightly lacks the dramatic impact it needed. The attempt to create a contemporary variant to the poisoned apple phenomenon does not evoke the same suspense as in the original film.
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It has elements from films like Disney’s Frozen or the darker musical, Into the Woods, which may appeal to fans of fairy tales. It is a really colorful musical ride with a blend of happy, hopeful and even somewhat sad scenes. It does not come without its issues but it is super cute and Zegler shines, the film is worth it for families and fairy tale aficionados. Thus if the movies sound interesting and you fancy some singing along with fantasy world this time try Snow White a memorable experience may await you!
Snow White 2025 Parents Guide
Violence & Scary Scenes: An important event is the poisoning of the king by The Evil Queen, which takes place before the events presented in the story but is not shown on-screen.
The Huntsman is told by the Queen/Mirror to kill Snow White, and the movie then cuts to the exciting part in the forest where this has to happen.
There may be some instances of violence, such as the Evil Queen using (magic to turn into a) more wicked character in the films.
There are precious and intense scenes with the dwarfs fighting the queen’s troops and even mild action violence such as mine cart races and magic dueling.
There is a recreation of the poison apple scene, which might be scary to children but not as much in terms of horror as one might expect since it is depicted more theatrically rather than being spooky.
Language: Characters occasionally use colloquialisms or mild, non-aggressive expressions such as ‘fool’ or ‘idiot’ in a teasing or drama mode.
The dialogue does not contain profanity or coarse language, and while it can be violent at times, it is not overly graphic and is suitable for TV-PG.
Romantic Themes: Snow White and Jonathan do kiss and care for each other and have sweet looks and talks.
It is essential to note that there is a love subplot, though it takes a back seat to the coming-of-age and sisterhood arcs.
Some scenes contain mild sexual tension, with some dialogue being sarcastic or flirtatious but not necessarily provocative.
Musical Content: Snow White’s songs deal with themes of strength and hope with Rachel Zegler delivering on the vocals.
The dwarfs singing Heigh-Ho will be highly entertaining and any child is bound to enjoy the bit.
The Evil Queen has her musical moments which are much darker in both tone and execution which can be disturbing for kids.
Release Date: 21 March 2025
Director: Marc Webb
Writers: Greta Gerwig, Erin Cressida Wilson
Starring: Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, Andrew Burnap, Ansu Kabia