What makes Disney’s live action remake of “Snow White” so hated?
March 21, 2025 was the release date for Disney’s latest live-action film, “Snow White.” The movie flopped with a 1.6/10 on IMDb and a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. This film was never expected to turn out well ever since it was first announced. Some say it is because of the poor casting choice with problematic actors. Others say it is because “Snow White” in general should not have become live-action. There are so many reasons as to why this movie flopped, but what could have made it better?
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” Disney’s first full-length 2-Dimension (2D) movie, was released in 1937. It was not popular because of the plot, but because the 2D animation was new and caught people’s attention. As the years went on and animation studios improved, Disney created more 2D movies with better plots and better animation, an example being “Cinderella” (released 1950). “Snow White’s” primary standpoint was the fact that she is the first Disney princess and she is best known for being the start of Disney’s 2D movies, even if the plot of “Snow White” was not the best.
Jeanette Huerta ‘28 said, “Disney should’ve stuck to 2D and 3D because I feel like when they do live actions they kinda don’t get the correct image of the character. The animations are also prettier and more appealing.”
The 2025 “Snow White” remake was most criticized for the plot and how it did not feel like “Snow White.” “Snow White’s” characteristics in the original film in 1937 are that she is gentle, sweet and she is very easily manipulated along with being very scared of any potential danger. In the 2025 film, Snow White’s actress Rachel Zegler is told to be a fearless girl who does not fall for any man, clearly trying to give her a ‘girlboss’ personality. Not only did they change Snow White’s personality traits, but they also completely forgot about the point of the Seven Dwarfs. In the 1937 “Snow White,” the Seven Dwarfs played a huge part, especially in defeating the queen. In the 2025 film, the Dwarfs had little to no importance in the movie at all. It felt like a different movie that just took inspiration from the original film of “Snow White.”
Jocelyn Huerta ‘27 said, “I don’t like the fact that they changed around the plot lines for the live action show white movie. A little change wouldn’t be horrible, but they changed the entire story and it sort of ruined it.”
Some Disney films, such as “Cinderella,” did not flop when it came to their live-action films. The live-action for “Cinderella” was great as it had a good plot and a good choice of casting. Unlike “Snow White,” the movie made sense to have a live-action remake. “Snow White” did not need a remake as it is the first 2D movie of Disney, it was clear it would not turn out well when they completely erased the original plot of “Snow White.” Overall, it would have been better if the movie for “Snow White” had been left alone. Although this is a kid’s movie and kids will love a “Snow White” movie regardless, the fact that the film did badly should be no surprise.
