Rachel Zegler praised by critics in early Snow White live-action reviews

17 March 2025, 16:23

Rachel Zegler's performance as Snow White praised by critics. Picture: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Disney, Disney

By Katie Louise Smith

West Side Story and Hunger Games star Rachel Zegler has been described as a "shining supernova" in the Disney live-action remake.

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The reviews are in and despite the initial concern and criticism, critics are saying Snow White is one of the best Disney live-action remakes so far.

Snow White, which stars Rachel Zegler as the titular princess and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, has left critics stunned with several early viewers raving about how surprisingly "successful" the adaptation actually is.

In the build up to the film's release, conversation surrounding some elements of the story (including the use of CGI for the seven dwarves) had been widely criticised. Rachel has also been targeted by trolls over her casting, as well as comments she made about her feelings towards the original and how the remake will be different.

Ahead of its official release, reviewers have now praised the remake and Rachel, in particular, is earning glowing reviews for her performance as Snow White.

Read more: Rachel Zegler responds to racist backlash she received after being cast as Snow White
Read more: Tangled's Mandy Moore wants Sabrina Carpenter to play live-action Rapunzel

Watch the live-action Snow White trailer

Rachel's performance is a clear stand out amongst the early social media reactions to the film, with Variety's Katcy Stephan writing: "Rachel Zegler is a shining supernova in #SnowWhite, beautifully embodying the graceful, gentle nature of the OG Disney princess."

Crooked Media's Matt DeGroot added: “Despite becoming an internet punching bag, Disney’s remake of Snow White is actually mostly successful! Rachel Zegler is an absolute star, (most of) the new songs are catchy and beautifully performed, and the visual palette is sumptuous and vibrant."

ScreenRant interview Ash Crossan shared: "Despite the bob being all over the place, #SnowWhite is quite charming! The message lands well, the critters are adorable, and Rachel Zegler and her enchanting voice are stunning. It almost got a full tear out of me, and I’ve never cried in my entire life."

"Rachel Zegler IS Snow White, and she delivers a magical performance," added Christopher Mills of Christopher Rates IT.

On top of praise for Rachel's take on Snow White, the film itself has also surprised critics. Several early reviewers have praised the musical numbers, with Filmhounds editor Paul Klein shouting out Gal Gadot's Evil Queen "bop", with others calling the songs "show-stopping" and "unforgettable".

However, one criticism remains: the CGI dwarves. Instead of casting little people to portray the characters, Disney decided to digitally animate them. Protests are now taking place with people flying in from all over the world.

Ali Chapman, a 3ft 8in tall actress, told The Mail on Sunday: "The seven dwarves were the stars of the original 1937 film which is a classic loved by millions of people. Disney has made a live-action film and instead of giving seven talented little people the chance to shine, they’ve scrapped us completely and used CGI instead.

"It’s a total travesty and there are a lot of angry little people, actors and actresses out there."

Snow White live-action remake has been criticised for its CGI dwarves. Picture: Alamy

Following early criticism from actor Peter Dinklage who criticised the remake, Disney told The Hollywood Reporter: "To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community."

Snow White is set to be released in cinemas on March 21st.