Snow White film review, the live-action rendition arrives with baggage

The mirror-mirror on the wall didn’t have fairest last couple of years for Disney’s live-action rendition of its’ 1937 fairytale film. Swirling in a cyclone of controversies, the project sat on the disabled list as hindrances kept coming out the woodwork like termites. Setbacks. Pushbacks. Ethical and societal contentions. A trimmed down premiere with press limitations accompanied the deferred release, shaving the odds of anything affecting box office ambitions. To sink this shot amidst the crux of mounting issues clouding the actual picture itself, there was work to go. Heigh-ho. 

After spending time working in television, director Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man) returns to the big screen with this musical. And it lets you know right away that it’s gonna be heavy with ballads. Immediately. In deep with both feet. But it is a musical, right? And you know the story. After her father, The King, mysteriously fails to return home, young princess Snow White (Rachel Zegler, West Side Story) is tragically left in the clutches of her wicked stepmother Evil Queen (Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman). Watching the wretched rule of the kingdom while captive, she hopes to sing and dance the righteous path of good to turn the tables on evil. 

Controversial conundrums and CGI

Gal Gadot plays a pretty good villain. The two stars both flex healthy performance chops for the scenes in between all the crooning. (Yes, a musical, I know). The on-screen chemistry operates well despite their opposing publicized views on current world matters being part of the static shadowing looming over the picture. 

Although live-action, the CGI-hand certainly stirs the pot. Sadly, the set design feels flat, nothing looks tangible, and what’s not CGI appears cheap, including the uninspired and thrifty costume design. The aesthetic blend struggles with execution. The intention of captivating the younger audience is clear, but the choice to ride the visual fence riles thought if even the Pixar route might have cornered the bullseye better. It's that very component that also made the predicament hitlist. While casting human actors to serve the branding, it was opted that for the characters, the Seven Dwarfs, be computer generated. The unconcerned notion of portraying little people in the manner which the story does struck chords.  

Uplifting plot lines and prominent performances

Sipping from the half-full glass, the film is braced by themes of faith, empathy, and justice, with characters illustrating messages of inspiration and compassion. The PG rated flirtatious dialogue between Snow White and noble bandit Jonathan shows a bright spot of writing. A 1h 49m run time drags out the operatic offering a bit too long, especially if the hopes are for kids to filll the theatre seats and stay in them. Relinquishing moral or civic qualms to see if the movie bears quality despite the coverage will be challenging for some. But being the familiar fable it is, moviegoers get the ending they know and expect, which is what anyone who buys this ticket wants and deserves.

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