Disney is the kind of household name that almost anyone recognizes and adores, even 59 years after Walt Disney’s death. His legacy continues on, but for better or worse? Live action adaptations of Disney’s cult classic films are consistently being produced, with over 20 remakes and counting, and the diehard Disney fans have mixed feelings about it. With Walt Disney Studios’ newest remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, it has fans questioning whether the power of nostalgia should be revisited or sometimes left alone as a bittersweet memory of childhood.
What the Fans are Saying
If you grew up watching Disney films like The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, or Snow White, you know that almost all of them have been remade into live action films. For some fans, this alone has taken away the magic of the old films and turned them into something that is trying to fit a mold of more modern times. With a 1.6 star rating out of 10 on IMDb, this most recent modernization failed to bring out any feelings of nostalgia for reviewers and left some feeling disappointed.
TikTok users have similar takeaways on the newest Disney remake, expressing their distaste with the new songs and soundtrack. There’s been lots of background noise surrounding the decision to exclude the original songs from the classic Snow White, which has made fans feel like it’s irrelevant and misplaced.
What the Critics are Saying
An actor’s performance in a film can quite literally make or break it, leaving a lasting impression on movie-goers. Nadira Goffee, a Top Critic on Rotten Tomatoes, complains that Gal Gadot’s performance was , “the biggest failure of the movie.” A trending complaint on X, Gadot’s performance as the evil queen left little to be desired in the eyes of many Snow White watchers. The evil queen’s complex motives and desire for beauty captured our attention as young children, becoming one of Disney’s most well known antagonists in their movie line up to date. Vanity itself is a layered human emotion that many of us battle throughout life, making the evil queen relatable in some ways. According to DiscussingFilm’s review of Snow White, Gadot’s performance did not capture that depth, saying, “Gadot is woefully miscast as the Evil Queen, unable to sell us on the glamor, fierceness, or true camp of a classic Disney villain.”
Cash Grab Allegations
One of the biggest controversies surrounding Disney princess remakes is that they feel more like cash grabs than authentic cinema paying tribute to beloved classics. ReelPete on Youtube reviewed the Snow White reboot saying with Disney’s budget and financial resources, the movie should have been memorable and magical. Instead, Snow White felt lifeless unfortunately, even though it’s a film, “rooted in one of the most iconic fairytales of all time, and that reality feels almost tragic.”
You won’t be seeing the last of classic Disney remakes after the buzz around Snow White dies down. Another cared-for Disney movie, Lilo and Stitch, is set to hit theaters May 23, following the same story and characters we loved when we were young. With the YouTube comment section full of hope and praises for the new movie trailer, it might be the turnaround fans need to fall in love all over again with the magic of Disney.
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