TL;DR: When it comes to enjoying art, don’t be afraid to go against the grain. You’re the one who knows what you like. And in most cases, you don’t even have to justify why.
Movies have the power to unite people. And this is exactly what Disney’s live-action Snow White (2025) does. The problem? It’s hatred that fuels this unity.
Extremists on the right hate it because Rachel Zegler (playing the titular character) wanted to emphasize her as the hero (along with her simplistic take on the current war in the Middle East) and, therefore is “woke.” Extremists on the left hate it because Gal Gadot (playing the Evil Queen) is Israeli and isn’t shy about advocating for her homeland.
I’m not ashamed to say that I saw the movie and I loved it. I saw Wicked (Part One) twice in theaters, and I’ll probably end up watching the live-action Snow White three times.
Let me preface this by saying I’m not a Disney or Marvel fan. I didn’t like Wish or Strange Worlds. I think Moana 2 was boring. I didn’t particularly enjoy the live-action Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Mulan, or Beauty and the Beast. I didn’t see Zegler’s West Side Story (2021) or Gadot’s Fast & Furious franchise or Red Notice.
There are some “fresh tomato” movies I loved (The Hours, Precious) and hated (Moonlight, Don’t Look Up), and some “rotten tomato” movies I love (the 2002 Resident Evil, Alien 3, The Hobbit trilogy) and hated (Mufasa).
Notice I’m using the Tomatometer (reviews by “verified” critics) and not the Audience Score.
What I’m trying to say is: I have diverse taste in movies, I don’t worship celebrities, and I trust my own judgment when it comes to art.
Yes, the 2025 Snow White does have its problems, but they’re easily dismissable if you keep an open mind.
The Dwarves
I blame Peter Dinklage for starting this, and I’m glad the small people community in the movie business spoke out against him.
Granted, it took a while to get used to the uncanny-valley-esqueness of the CGI dwarves.
However, there is a non-CGI small person in Snow White—George Appleby as Quigg, one of the rebels who helps bring down the Queen. Disney’s decision to use a human small person and CGI for the seven dwarves is a bold choice that works because it highlights the dwarves as separate, magical entities rather than humans.
And how beautiful was it when Snow White teaches Dopey how to communicate through whistling? And when he finally speaks?
The Gems
At first, I was bothered by how full of gems the mines were. Aren’t gemstones (or any other thing, really) precious because they’re rare? (Like gas and eggs these days.)
But then it dawned on me: The Queen controls the gem industry, making them rare for everyone except herself.
The Actors (Fairest of Them All)
Rachel Zegler is Snow White, just like Halle Bailey is Ariel. I could nitpick their looks but I won’t because that’d be a dick move. And these two actors embody their roles.
But when I think of a “beautiful princess,” I don’t think of Disney’s animated Snow White. To me, it’s Aurora from the animated Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Tiana (I know, she’s not blue-blooded) from The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Besides, the word “fair” has different meanings, and they’re played well in the live-action remake. When the Magic Mirror says the Queen is the fairest of them all, he means physical beauty. But then he sees how Snow White’s inner beauty shines through in the way she fairly treats the citizens. This inner beauty enhances her physical beauty. Yes, the Queen has the “fair means beautiful” part down, but she lacks the “fairness means kindness or treating people with equality” part.
And the casting is nothing short of brilliant. Nobody in the kingdom is as gorgeous or statuesque as Gadot. Not even Zegler, who I think is very beautiful.
Speaking of…
Gal Gadot
I’m proud to say I loved Gadot as Wonder Woman and am a huge fan of Wonder Woman 1984. I have yet to see Death on the Nile (2022), but I enjoyed her in Heart of Stone (2023).
There are two things that I think she’s being unfairly (no pun intended) criticized for, and we all know the reason.
Remember when people said Kristen Stewart couldn’t act? Fast forward decades later, and we have gems like Underwater (2020), Spencer (2021), and Love Lies Bleeding (2024). But never mind Stewart. I once stumbled on an article (pre-Reddit days) claiming that Sigourney Weaver—who went to Yale to study drama—couldn’t act.
et me just say: As much as I enjoyed Zegler’s performance, Gadot was the highlight for me. Her Queen is so fun and campy. Her mannerisms and voice as the Old Hag are deliciously creepy. One of the things I’ve appreciated in Gadot’s performances over the years is her use of microexpressions.
She’s not pitch-perfect, but she’s not as bad as Michelle Yeoh in Wicked. And if people accepted Melissa McCarthy’s singing in The Little Mermaid, they should be able to accept Gadot’s “All Is Fair.”
The Queen is the The Emperor’s New Clothes. She’s so full of it that she thinks she can sing well. She makes her subjects fear her so much that they don’t dare to say that their queen is doing an admittedly much-better version of Florence Foster Jenkins.
But back to Gadot.
I’ve seen videos mocking her line delivery. As someone who has taught English to adult immigrants, let me say this: It’s xenophobic.
We’ve seen this before—talented actors dismissed because their delivery doesn’t fit an Anglo-centric mold.
I love Shoreh Agdashloo, but she has the same issue. I love Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), but he has the same problem. I love Zhiyi Zhang but, well… her line reading wasn’t exactly that great in the new Godzilla movies.
So, the moral of the story:
Art is subjective: Critics and audiences have different perspectives, and neither is an absolute authority.
Many factors determine why you like or dislike something, including cultural and personal context. People resonate with different films based on their background, experiences, or even mood.
Don’t fall into groupthink. Social media and review aggregation can pressure you into opinions you don’t actually hold.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s review the Evil Queen doll by Mattel. This is a doll site, after all.
For the price point, I think she’s delightful. The crown and the face sculpt are the highlights. Although, I could do without the flaking glitter from the gown. And I’d rather have the heart box and not the bird.
Complete photos:
Dollsexposed showcases homoerotica and kink through twelve-inch doll photography. Their adventures in the doll world began in 2011 before establishing a home on dollsexposed.com eleven years later.
Dollsexposed's works have been displayed at the Seattle Erotic Art Festival, Los Angeles Kinky Art Show, and Los Angeles Leather Getaway.
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