⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Rated PG | 109 minutes

Disney has a recent history of dipping into their wishing well of animated hits to transform them into live action spectacles, that sometimes, make more money than the original versions. “Snow White” is their next animated classic to be treated to some CGI and story bending and it might just be one of their best live action movies to date.

For me, the “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid” remakes are at the top of the reimagination list. “Snow White”, starring Rachel Zegler in the titular (and iconic) role, belongs in a spot right alongside them.

The film starts out with Walt Disney’s legendary leather-bound storybook motif, and we hear a voice describing her backstory and introducing us to her parents, the beloved King and Queen. In keeping with tradition, Snow White’s mother passes leaving her and her father alone, opening a door for the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) to put her spell over the family and weasel her way into the King’s heart.

It’s a story we all know well, but director director Marc Webb (“The Amazing Spider-Man”) gives us stunning vistas and a storybook style that will make you feel like you’re in the pages of the Grimm fairy tale. Since Snow White is one of Disney’s original princess films, there’s a large responsibilty to get this right, and you can tell they worked hard at it…at least one would hope since this film started shooting in 2022.

After the King goes missing, Snow White is banished from the kingdom by the Evil Queen and stumbles across a home where first band of unlikely heroes lives, the familiar Seven Dwarfs. We can see their names emblazoned across the beds upon which Snow White lays down to nap, cared for by her various woodland creature friends.

When we meet the Dwarfs, they’re off to work singing a rousing reworked rendition of “Hi-Ho” in the diamond and gem mines, and they all have dramatically CGI’d human faces on small bodies. It takes some getting used to, but it can be a little uncanny-valley at times. Especially because they really do look like the actors portraying them… Doc really does resemble actor Jeremy Swift – Higgins from “Ted Lasso”, for instance.

They also have a mine cart system of transportation that is strikingly similar in appearance to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train rollercoaster at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. I loved this touch to tie in the very real-world attraction.

When the Dwarfs find Snow White sleeping, they are startled and we get to see their bumbling selves as they try to identify this “danger” in their home. Of course, it’s all diffused when they realize it’s just a sleepy currently-homeless princess. Once Snow White is up and at-em the next morning, she gets to see the Dwarves bickering about what to do while eating breakfast. That turns into quite the food fight – and a perfect segway to one of my favorite musical numbers, “Whistle While You Work” … with some slight tweaks, the song and choreography (by the amazing Mandy Moore… yes, that Mandy Moore), the audience was toe-tapping and quietly singing along.

Snow White leaves the cozy confines of the home to keep them out of danger, but also to find her father, who may still be out there. It’s on this journey that we get to know Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), this film’s stand in for Prince Florian. Jonathan, in an expanded role from the Prince and partly the reason Snow White was banished in the first place, has his own band of ragtag rebels claiming to fight in the name of the king and they team up after fabulous new song “Princess Problems.”

Yes, two classic songs are missing from this soundtrack: “Someday My Prince Will Come” and “I’m Wishing”…however, I really don’t think they would have fit the narrative of this new take on the classic story.

I must mention here that Rachel is stunning in her red, yellow, and blue traditional Snow White dress. The filmmakers know the importance of the source material here and they keep with tradition wherever it makes sense… particularly in the portrayal of the Evil Queen’s Magic Mirror (Patrick Page).

Gal Gadot is perfectly fine as the Evil Queen… though her own song “All Is Fair” sounds stilted at times… lots of “talk-singing” not unlike other classic Disney Villain songs of the past. She’s particularly striking as the old woman with the poisoned apple. What a visual feast!

Without delving too much more into the plot and storyline of this new “Snow White”, you can rest-assured that Disney has a hit on their hands. The kids in the audience were glued to the screne and seemed to love everything they saw.

I, too, enjoyed the film. It’s not without it’s strange choice moments (like the CGI dwarves), but overall, it’s well-acted, beatiful scenery and visual effects (once again, dwarfs aside) are spellbinding. “Snow White” deserves your attention.