Parents' Guide to Snow White (2025)

Disney chooses style over substance for this live-action adaptation, which really only thrives when showcasing Zegler's significant vocal talents (or Gadot's fabulous costumes). On the song front, the standouts in Snow White are "Waiting on a Wish," "Princess Problems," and "Good Things Grow." Zegler, who's best known for singing in her movie roles, is a fabulous performer, and co-star Andrew Burnap has Jonathan-Groff-in-Frozen vibes as Jonathan, the charming bandit who steals from the crown in the missing king's name. But despite looking the part, Gadot underwhelms as the Evil Queen—she's lackluster and bland, and really required a little more backstory. (By contrast, Charlize Theron was far more effective as the queen in the darker, deadlier Snow White and the Huntsman.)

Director Marc Webb's choice to depict the seven dwarfs in a somewhat creepy, computer-generated manner also feels like a miss, but the voice actors—including Tituss Burgess as Bashful, Jeremy Swift as Grumpy, Martin Klebba as Doc, and Andrew Barth Feldman as Dopey—do a decent job with their roles. And the addition of Jonathan as a bandit instead of a prince feels reminiscent of the Tangled storyline, in which a somewhat cynical, handsome rebel falls for a kind-hearted princess. Snow White and Jonathan's connection is stronger than that between their animated counterparts in the original film, but their romantic relationship isn't the point of the story. That is the idea of restoring a loving and generous leader to rule the kingdom, rather than one who only cares about money and defenses. Snow White is occasionally competent enough to warrant checking out—especially if your kids are fans of the OG Disney Princess—but it mostly misses the mark. Of all the Disney Princesses to revisit, Snow White was the biggest gamble, and unfortunately it doesn't really pay off.