Snow White's Mixed Reviews: Zegler Shines, but the Remake Falls Short

The first reviews are in for Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot's performances in Disney's Snow White!

Film critics got their first chance to see Snow White, a live-action remake of Disney's 1937 animated classic, ahead of the movie's March 21 release. As initial reviews poured in on Wednesday, March 19, many praised Zegler, 23, for her positive portrayal of the princess.

The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney described Zegler as "incandescent," adding that the actress "radiates light and beauty" as she "conveys the princess' fighting spirit not with exaggerated pluckiness but with a delicate yet firm sense of who she is and what her destiny holds."

Variety critic Owen Gleiberman adds that Zegler "has a pertly appealing glow" in the movie that is "one of the better live-action adaptations" for Disney, describing it as "lighter, more frolicsome, less lead-footed than such clomping live-action Disney remakes as Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo or Mulan."

For IndieWire, critic Kate Erbland found the remake "not great, but certainly good, spirited and sweet and filled with wonderful songs and some canny updates to extremely dated material."

Touching on the remake's modern updates to dated fairytale material — something Zegler herself has pointed out and been criticized for doing so — Erbland noted "for those film fans willing to embrace the most obvious updates and upgrades to a story over 200 years old, Snow White will likely please."

Criticizing the movie for its "plasticky set design and gift shop tacky costuming," Allison Willmore of New York Magazine/Vulture added the movie "already looks like it takes place in a theme park — no adaptations necessary."

Rolling Stone's David Fear also found the remake to be a miss, noting it is not the worst live-action adaptation but "a strong contender for its blandest," adding "he movie does earn points as a bedtime story, however, because it will definitely put you to sleep."

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Meanwhile, critics praised Gadot's personification of the Evil Queen, with much of the admiration going toward costume designer Sandy Powell for bringing the queen to life.

Gleiberman wrote Gadot "glares divinely in her darkly purplish cloaked finery (stained-glass crown, nails like daggers, matching black lips and eyes), like the world’s most furious dominatrix."

Rooney noted that Gadot "certainly looks the part of the villain in Sandy Powell’s fabulous costumes — variations on long sequined gowns in shades from black through deep blues and greens and purples, with elaborate neckpieces, and in one case, a glittering iridescent train that looks about a half a mile long."

"You might wish for a touch more arch campiness in her performance — along the lines of, say, Angelina Jolie in Maleficent — but Gadot is an imperious presence in lots of chunky power jewelry. There’s a welcome sense of her savoring her character’s malevolence in the Evil Queen’s song, 'All Is Fair (When You Wear the Crown),'" Rooney added.

Willmore described the Wonder Woman's performance as a "so incredibly stilted it almost swings around to being good-bad."

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In addition to Zegler and Gadot, Snow White also stars Andrew Burnao, Ansu Kabia, Patrick Page, Andrew Barth Feldman, Tituss Burgess, Martin Klebba, Jason Kravits, George Salazar, Jeremy Swift and Andy Grotelueschen.

The movie is in theaters Friday, March 21.

Rachel Zegler's Tearful Speech: Love for 'Everybody' Amid Snow White Drama

Rachel Zegler is showing gratitude for her Snow White role.

Ahead of a recent early screening of the live-action Snow White remake, Zegler surprised fans when she appeared and gave an emotional speech about what playing the Disney princess has meant to her.

"This is a movie that is so close to my heart. I auditioned for this movie when I was 19 years old and I am about to turn 24," Zegler said, in video shared by Disney. "So it's a really big chunk of my life, and about five of the seven years of my career, which is crazy. I love everybody in this movie so dearly."

Zegler reflected on her journey playing the titular character, who first appeared in 1937's animated Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, sharing that seeing the movie come to life has been "emotional" for her.

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"Coming to the end of this road of this release feels really crazy because when you spend so much time with something, it becomes such a big part of you and a big part of your heart. Snow White has really been that way for me and to see this is really emotional for me. So I'm going to try not do that," Zegler said, her voice cracking a little.

"I love her and I am so glad to see that so many of you love her as well," Zegler continued. "Her superpower is her heart. It's nothing supernatural. It's something that all of us have. Deep within us, there is an inherit good and belief in the kindness of humanity."

"I hope that you walk away from this film understanding what the true meaning of fair is. I really hope that for the world as well. Thank you so much for allowing me to be your Snow White. It means the world to me."

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Zegler's speech comes amid tensions plaguing Disney’s live-action remake ahead of its March 21 release, which has extended to both the West Side Story actress and her costar Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen.

A source told PEOPLE that Gadot and Zegler have "nothing in common" due to their age difference and “on top of that, their political views differ, adding to the tension."

Zegler and Gadot have appeared at multiple events in the past to promote their long-delayed film, including at Disney’s D23 Expo in 2022 and at the recent Academy Awards, where they presented the Best Visual Effects category together. They posed together at the film's Los Angeles premiere on Saturday, March 15.

After her casting announcement in 2021, Zegler faced racist backlash from social media users over her being of Latinx background and playing the Disney princess. (Zegler is of Colombian and Polish descent.) Zegler also made headlines when she said in interviews that the new movie would modernize Snow White and that the original was “dated.”

While speaking with Vogue Mexico, Zegler addressed negative reactions over her casting as well as past statements she's made about the original animation, saying audiences were being protective over the famous princess.

“I interpret people’s feelings about this film as their passion for her and what an honor to be a part of something that people are so passionate about,” Zegler said. “We are not always going to have the same feelings as everyone around us and all that we can do is do our best." (Zegler's interview was conducted in Spanish. Quotes were independently translated from Spanish to English by PEOPLE.)

Snow White is in theaters March 21.