More and more reviews for Snow White are flooding rating websites – what do people think?
Disney's new live-action Snow White just released and is getting progressively more reviews, so let's take a look at them:
Mixed Opinions On Rotten Tomatoes
The movie's reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are quite remarkable because the audience and the professional critics seem to disagree: The Tomatometer that shows reviews from Tomatometer-approved, professional critics only has 43% positive reviews while the Popcornmeter that represents user reviews reaches 74% positive reviews – still not a masterpiece but a vast difference nonetheless.
One issue with the reviews: On both sides, many focus more on political agendas than the actual movie. Positive reviews praise the cast's inclusivity, negative ones condemn it, and neither of them talks about the quality of the film. Some examples:
This Snow White, emerging in an era of government-sanctioned cruelty, seems to know exactly what it’s saying, even if it chooses to speak only in a discreet whisper. It’s the right Snow White for this moment. - Stephanie Zacharek
This is from a review written for Time magazine and the excerpt above is what's visible on Rotten Tomatoes. The vast majority of the full article only talks about social issues rather than the movie's quality, which is only mentioned about costume design and details.
Meanwhile, the only negative aspect mentioned in the review is something that does concern the quality of the movie: Even this review full of praise mentions that the poorly-done CGI dwarfs look downright creepy.
More woke garbage. Why not do it like the original? - Luiz Alfredo F
This comment represents the opposite opinion of the first review, yet it has the same problem: It talks about inclusivity – in fact, this viewer seems pretty enraged by it – but doesn't mention the film's artistry.
Don't worry, though, there are also reviews on both sides that do talk about the actual movie. Here are some more positive examples:
Snow White is a pretty insipidly written role without much call for grit or fire. But Zegler finds at least a couple of moments to bare her teeth and make the character momentarily come alive. And her singing voice, of course, is absolutely stunning. - Graeme Tuckett
These cursory changes clash with its more modernized lead, and the resulting dissonance is particularly egregious. By stranding Snow White in garish landscapes opposite thinly written scene partners, the movie betrays her. - Shirley Li
To summarize the actually informative reviews: Most of them commend Rachel Zegler's performance as Show White but criticize the rest of the movie for underwhelming visuals, a lack of depth and a flat performance from other actors, especially Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen.
Abysmal Ratings On IMDb
Snow White's reviews on IMDb are much worse than on Rotten Tomatoes, with 1.9 stars out of a possible 10. Are people focusing on the actual movie? Barely.
The problem with IMDb is that anyone can vote without having to provide a reason. Only when writing a comment do people have to come up with actual arguments, which has led to positive reviews being bombed with downvotes while any 1-star review is massively upvoted, even if they contradict each other.
Some of the top-rated comments call Rachel Zegler's acting terrible, while others say she was the only actress who performed well – as long as they give the movie 1 star, both will be upvoted:
Rachel Zegler, who takes on the iconic role of Snow White, delivers a performance that feels stiff and uninspired. While she undeniably has a strong singing voice, her acting lacks the warmth and charm that made the animated Snow White so beloved. Her line delivery often comes off as forced, and she struggles to bring emotional depth to the character. Instead of exuding the innocence and kindness associated with Snow White, her portrayal feels distant and, at times, even disengaged. - scottgmckenzie
The best thing about this movie is hilariously Rachel Zegler as Snow White. She gives a great performance and does a fantastic job with her singing. - jared-25331
Both of these are excerpts from 1-star reviews that are rated overwhelmingly positively by the users. Still, while the people who vote without writing arguments seem highly biased, the actual commenters provide more elaborate points of view on both sides.
How To Fix This Issue
At the end of the day, movies should be seen as an art form. Both the studios and reviewers should focus more on a film's quality than on political agendas, and that counts for both sides. Diversity and representation are important, but Disney shouldn't exclusively focus on this (knowing that controversy will get a movie more attention) while neglecting the quality of the entire rest of the movie.
Simultaneously, viewers shouldn't mindlessly review-bomb a movie solely because they're triggered by the fact that marginalized groups were hired as actors – or praise it for the same reason if the movie just didn't hit the mark.
Disney should put more effort into their live-action movies, and the audience should judge them based on their quality rather than their political opinions. Not everything has to be seen in black and white, but let's be honest, this is probably wishful thinking and won't happen.
Have you seen the new Snow White movie already? What's your opinion on the controversies surrounding it?