I guess this more of a Lukewarm Take.
I’m not going to be mean to the actors BUT most other aspects of film are fair game and the higher ups on this movie are the ones to blame.
I’m so over these remakes, I just do not care about them. The last one I watched in its entirety was Cruella and it was only to get sometime out the house, long story. I skipped through parts of Aladdin and I gave up watching The Little Mermaid, I do still sort want to analyze the costumes from that movie because what is happening Disney Live action costumes versions? Let’s put a pin in till a later section because I have thoughts, probably too many thoughts about movie costumes.
Also these are knee-jerk reactions to the teaser ultimately the “feelings” have no impact, I do not really care all that much.
Anyway, Let’s Get into the Snow White Teaser Trailer
Oh boy, trying to make “Whistle while you work” epic doesn’t cut mustard tones of this movie. I think the marketing team was forced to use it because Snow White couldn’t sing “Someday my Prince will come” or “Wishing Well” because those songs are about wanting love and we can’t have that anymore can we? Strong leaders who are female characters can’t want love, men can though, that is fine. The vocalization from that “Wishing Well” COULD have work but it would have reminded the audience of love so probably not at good choice for the music. So that just leaves “Whistle while you work” in that off-kilter Lana Del Rey style that Disney remakes seem to love.
Just no to the Cgi animals and dwarves, especially the dwarves. No, No, A thousands times NO! I wonder why Disney remakes these “live-action” movies when most of are Cgi? I mean the answer is Money but still it likes that Cyrano quote, “I ask for cream. You give me milk and water.”
I hate Snow White’s haircut. Snow White’s hair in the animated movie looks like it’s pinned up which makes it look short, or if not that, is curled to make it looks shorter. If they had WANTED to go with short hair then go for homage to the late 1930s. As it in the teaser, it looks really unflattering. I HATE to bring it up -especially since others have already – but it looks like Lord Farquaad’s hair. Who thought it was a good idea? They test these things during pre-production so who signed off the Lord Farquaad 2.0??? WHO?
I despise “Evil Queen’s” costume. Sure it looks “evil” but more in like a cheesy 80s sci-fi flick way. That is a vibe I could get behind if that was the aesthetic of the film but when you make Regina’s OUAT costumes look subtle then there is a problem. This is a major motion picture for f-sake, they had a budget why do the costumes look cheap? I guess a point for a wimple, I guess. It feel so much worse knowing that Sandy Powell did the costumes, she did the costumes 2015’s Cinderella so what happen here? I don’t dislike Snow White’s “reimagined” costume but it also looks like the most obvious take on the costume one could do for a live-action movie. Also it has the same sleeves as 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman. Her yellow skirt looks like Powell used the same layer approach as the Cinderella gown but I don’t think the semi sheer fabric over a shimmering under-layer works for this movie as it’s not a magical dress, she wears it to pick wildflowers. From what little I can see of Snow’s maid costume I do not like it. Oh well at least Powell got paid, at least I hope she bank off it.
That cape flip at 0:46 is a straight lift from OG movie and it made me roll my eyes. Also does this Evil Queen have a name?
I feel like Snow White is one of the most misunderstood Disney main characters because her seemingly passivity gets interpretative as weakness and she is not. Snow White displays leadership traits, just on a small scale. She got seven men to obey her in a few minutes and wash their hands. She’s also sassy. Her characterization was from different time, right before WWII. Snow White didn’t need to figure herself out or struggle to be understood, she knew who she was and got the job done with no whinging. She was a character for the late 1930s.
I feel nothing from this teaser aside from minor confusion and major apathy.
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Eh. Seems boring.
Anyway, here to make a recommendation: Imagine a young priest falling in love with a beautiful woman compared to the devil, though in this case it’s more of a love story, but I couldn’t help but draw parallels. Hilda Furacão, a Brazilian series. You should watch and review – it’s out of this world beautiful and the guy gives Frollo vibes if Frollo was harmless. See this edit (not mine, but very beautiful) https://youtu.be/I2_gzyudl4M?si=hrQ3mvjyvTvQ4JcA
You can watch with English subtitles online. The name is Hilda Furacão (the girl is based on a real life person, though the series is fiction)
Oh, that sounds like a very interesting show. I wil have to see if I can find it.
Personally I think Zegler is an attractive young woman, but she lacks the innocent beauty of Snow White. She looks more fierce I’d say. And I think Gadot being the queen is fine since the queen was beautiful too and that could easily be justifiable as Snow White having the beauty of youth. Though I do think they should make her (zegler) look paler, there’s nothing wrong with it considering the name is base on snow white skin. But I gotta say, haven’t thought of this before, but it’d be awesome having a k-pop idol playing Snow White – but I’m biased since I like k-pop music (BTS simp here). My idea though, to bring diversity, would be bringing an albino girl of any race and giving her a black wig. I feel albino’s get very little representation and my little cousin never sees a princess like her, you know? The girl couldn’t watch game of thrones because of age (she’s 10 now), but I showed her some SFW fanart of Daenerys and she loved (I actually thought it was a shame bot hiring albinos for the role, though Emilia Clarke was stunning). I haven’t seen Zegler’s interview so can’t comment on that, but I know media manipulate a lot of what actors and actresses says and she’s fairly young, she may have expressed herself badly on accident.
I hate the hair they gave Snow White, tho, Lord Farquad that one no doubt. I hopped they’d go with some charming, 20/30’s finger waves and the classic red bow. (Or the french bob made decently – cough Taylor Lashae – cough – Queen of the french bob).
An Albino actress would have been a great casting for Snow White.
The casting is ridiculous. Gal Gadot playing a queen envious of someone else’s beauty? Hard pass. Same as with Charlize Theron. Why do they keep insisting on finding Evil Queens obviously prettier than the Snow Whites? I liked the version with Lily Collins, she was actually prettier than Julia Roberts at Julia’s age in the movie. Against a young Julia Roberts it would be a hard competition, though.
Also, it’s ridiculous to choose a girl with tanned or light brown skin to play a character who the color of the skin is literally white. I mean, I do not mind a black actress for Ariel, Halle was adorable in the role, the girl is very beautiful and her voice is angelic, that was fine. But Snow White? Come on, it’s like making blonde Mulan. Her name was literally because of her skin color. If they wanted to be inclusive they could have still choose a Latina actress with fair skin,any people forget latina is cultural, not racial, there are even blonde and ginger latinas. Or they could go the Asian route and choose a Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hell, even a Turkish actress. Take Irene from Red Velvet and tell me she couldn’t play Snow White. They could have diversity without butchering the tale. Have you seen the version with Kristin Kreuk? I don’t remember the movie well, but she was gorgeous as Snow White. I could understand the Queen being jealous. She looked sweet and extremely pretty. More so in the movie than on the promotional posters.
Also, Rachel seems to hate the role. She literally talks with disdain for it. Why? If she was at least sweet I bet she’d receive a lot less backlash. Snow White being a leader? What’s the problem with wanting true love? Does it makes a woman less worthy to want to marry and be a homemaker? It’s many people’s personal choice, but I’ll never judge a woman who wants it. Calling the prince a stalker is a bit of a stretch, if we remember clearly they were teens! It’s normal for a boy or a girl of teen age that when they have a crush they droll and hang around the person they like, that doesn’t make them a stalker! What teen that hadn’t a crush hadn’t tried to observe or get closer to their crush?
I’m sorry, I’m so frustrated at this point. I once liked the idea of Disney remakes, was very excited to see an adaptation of HoND, but now I just think they’ll ruin it. I just hope this executives and producers from this era get away from Disney so we can get someone decent on charge before the ruin HoND. If they censured the prince as a stalker, imagine what they’d do with Frollo. Literally throw the plot on the trash since his obsession moves the story.
I absolutely agree with everything you said.
The casting for this version is beyond weird. I think the idea behind Gadot and Theron’s casting was to highlight that “fairest” means something more than looks but if that is the case than it doesn’t land in either movie since people are bringing up that Gadot is prettier than Zelger and the same thing was said in 2012 with Theron as the Evil Queen. Though I heard that in this version the “fairest” means leadership and yet they still kept the imagery of the “magic mirror.” It’s like the didn’t think too deeply about it. Why would a mirror tell someone about who is best to rule? It makes no sense if one thinks about it. The Lily Collin’s version is much better plus the sets and costume are stunning and most of the casting works aside from the prince.
I don’t recall watching the Kristin Kreuk version but I will keep it mind. She really does look the part.
Rachel Zegler shouldn’t have been casted as Snow White. As you said there so many options to cast someone who adds diversity and fits the role. They should have gotten a K-pop idol to play the role, that would have been amazing.
About Zelger’s 2023 interviews, I’m willing to give her some (tiny) benefits of the doubt and say that she was keeping to talking points that the studio told to say and tried to eject some humor into it. However she reminds me of that type of theater girl who always get the lead roles in school plays because the teachers love them, are popular, and think they are really funny when they are in fact not. It just makes her look really bad and really does mare the whole film by extension.
I think Disney should just cut their losses with one and make it tax write-off. It’s bad when people are more entertained by the comment section of the trailer than the actual trailer.
Some part of me would still like to see the utter wreck of movie the HUnchback remake would have been but another part is relieved that Hunchback dodged a bullet with not getting a Disney remake. They would have made Frollo more politically correct to soften the film for people/kids and it would have ruined the plot because Frollo is the worst.