Warning: Minor SPOILERS for 2025’s Snow White.The live-action Snow White remake includes an almost entirely new soundtrack, but the film unfortunately fails to make the most of its songs. Disney’s latest remake significantly expands Snow White‘s story, so it’s no great surprise that the film includes a number of original songs to complement its new plot points. And although many of Snow White‘s controversies relate to the movie’s cast, the soundtrack gives them multiple chances to prove that they at least have the musical chops to justify their place in the picture’s roster.
From literally the first scene up until Snow White‘s ending, nearly every song with a couple of prime exceptions (such as “Heigh-Ho”) was written specifically for the remake. Many of the new songs accommodate changing expectations for Disney movies in the years since 1937, such as the inclusion of a villain song despite the Evil Queen never singing in the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But while the inclusion of these songs mostly makes a certain kind of sense, the majority of them share one very specific problem.
A Lot Of Snow White’s Musical Numbers Are Boring Visually
Disney Didn’t Make The Most Of The Live-Action Medium
Just about every song in the Snow White remake soundtrack sounds great, but almost none of them are particularly fun to watch. One of the best visual songs is “Heigh-Ho” from the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which lengthens the old track and spends a bit more time in the gem mine. But the cave feels bland and grey, a problem that persists with songs like the Evil Queen’s (Gal Gadot) “All Is Fair,” as well as several songs that take place either in the dull forest or the dwarfs’ dingy, poorly lit cottage.
Possibly the most vibrant song is “Good Things Grow,” which plays at both the beginning and end. The opening version is full of colorfully dressed background actors, while the finale features the townspeople all dressed cleanly in white. The problem is that everyone almost looks too clean, to the point they aren’t convincing as characters. Snow White also fails to leverage its medium, often shooting choreography from one angle rather than mixing the camera in with the crowd. This gives several moments in the opening number an uncomfortable community theater vibe not befitting a movie this expensive.
Snow White’s Songs Are Mostly Good, Though
It’s Better As A Soundtrack Than A Movie
Image via Disney
As uninteresting as they are to watch, Snow White‘s songs nonetheless help carry the film. Rachel Zegler doesn’t possess the best acting skills of the dozens of Snow White actresses who have appeared across numerous iterations of the tale, but her voice complements songs like “Waiting On A Wish” and “Whistle While You Work” beautifully. Gal Gadot has received far less acclaim for her big villain song, “All Is Fair,” but she arguably does lend it a certain degree of charm. Andrew Burlap also commands a wonderfully mischievous appeal in “Princess Problems.”
Moreover, many of these songs illustrate Snow White‘s new direction. “Good Things Grow” establishes her parents’ creed on rulership, while “Princess Problems” derides Snow for being too out of touch with the state of the kingdom to properly deliver on that philosophy. “Heigh-Ho” introduces the dwarfs’ trademark eccentricities, and “A Hand Meets A Hand” works as an honest love song between two people whose relationship has actually had time to develop. Only “Whistle While You Work” loses its meaning, serving as instruction to Snow White‘s seven dwarfs whereas the original Snow was cleaning to make up for invading their home.
Snow White’s Disappointing Musical Numbers Continue A Disney Live-Action Remake Trend
You Might Even Say They Trained Us To “Be Prepared” For This
Disney’s musical numbers falling flat in the remakes is anything but new. Even The Lion King‘s best songs fail to dazzle visually thanks to the remake’s off-putting CGI, and sequences such as “Be Prepared” ditch just about all the imagery that made them so compelling to watch in the original. Aladdin faces similar problems. “One Jump Ahead” is fun thanks to Guy Ritchie’s playback speed manipulations, but Genie’s performances suffer doubly due to being less visually interesting than their animated counterparts, while also failing to support the heavy expectations put on Will Smith by predecessor Robin Williams’ inimitable performance.
Notably, Mufasa stands apart as one of Disney’s few modern live-action movies unaffected by this issue. Perhaps The Little Mermaid remake can’t recapture the magic of “Part of Your World” (despite doing just fine with “Under the Sea”), but Mufasa: The Lion King‘s soundtrack doesn’t have to contend with as many nostalgia-based expectations. Snow White should have been subject to similar benefits thanks to its soundtrack of primarily original songs, but that’s what arguably makes it even more disappointing that the film’s musical sequences still don’t satisfy as much as they should.
