Marc Webb’s musical adaptation of Disney’s Snow White—a dazzling remake of the studio’s first fairytale film, a landmark 1937 release that helped launch its entertainment kingdom—may have had the most unrealistic expectations put on it. However, it is reassuring to note that it delivers its own endearing spin on the original story while faithfully homaging the animated classic’s major touchstones. Most notably, Rachel Zegler’s vocal performance is undeniably the best of any live-action Disney Princess.

The original animated Snow White is, without a doubt, an enshrined work of art, primarily due to its status as the first feature-length cartoon fairytale ever produced in the United States, marking the beginning of Disney’s historic legacy in feature-length theatrical animation. Given its groundbreaking nature, it’s understandable that the live-action adaptation faces significant challenges in living up to its predecessor. The question remains: what does this film bring to the table beyond being just another Disney live-action release, as seen in other adaptations?

In 1937, the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs had to be efficient and appeal to the masses of that era. Walt Disney and his animators focused on the technical aspects, given that the multi-plane camera’s animated technology was still in its experimental phase, with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs serving as a prototype. Thus, expecting the live-action version to exactly mirror the original is unrealistic, especially considering that this is not Disney’s first live-action adaptation, and the world of 2025 is vastly different from the late 1930s.

A modern, live-action film has the creative space to play with the original’s straightforward take on Snow White, incorporating much-needed updates cleverly penned by Erin Cressida Wilson. This adaptation gives Snow White (Zegler) and her love interest Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) a more believable meet-cute, and, more importantly, provides the princess with a more Disney Renaissance-era core motivation. Zegler authentically imbues Snow with an innocence and naive kindness that evolves into a different form of strength for young girls to look up to, a welcome shift from the animated Snow’s role as a reactive character.

This evolution is achieved deftly, without sacrificing the love story essential to the tale. It’s not a “girlboss-ification” but rather a portrayal of a princess who meets a boy from the wrong side of the kingdom and falls in love despite their differing social statuses. This is a love story and Snow White’s coming-of-age journey, making it enchanting and empowering simultaneously.

This success can be attributed to Webb, who has a proven track record with love stories, as seen in 500 Days of Summer and the Amazing Spider-Man films. In Snow White, Webb captures the chemistry between Zegler and Burnap, reminiscent of old Hollywood, evoking films like It Happened One Night and Shall We Dance, with hints of Princess Bride and Aladdin. Their portrayal of first love makes them easy to root for, contributing to the film’s sweeping musical romance feel.

Webb, along with musical duo Pasek and Paul and choreographer Mandy Moore, pays homage to the original in a surprisingly faithful manner. Although “I’m Wishing,” “One Song,” and “Someday My Prince Will Come” are not included, the film still conveys the timeless feeling of romance that defined old Hollywood’s happy endings. It combines the charm of Fred and Ginger in the forest with musical numbers like “Princess Problems,” echoing Princess Bride with Burnap’s Cary Elwes-esque appearance. Zegler’s stunning singing brings relatable chemistry, met by Burnap’s performance, especially in the standout Disney duet “A Hand Meets a Hand.” These moments showcase the winning combination of actors, music, dance numbers, and direction in Snow White, with songs like “Waiting on a Wish” becoming gorgeous additions to the Disney Princess music catalogue.

The film stumbles in two significant areas: the poorly designed CG Dwarfs and Gal Gadot’s underwhelming performance as the Evil Queen. Simply casting a beautiful woman is not enough; Gadot’s portrayal lacks the diva quality the role demands. Her musical numbers are disappointing, making one wish for a stronger singing voice. In the Queen’s new villain song, “All Is Fair,” Gadot struggles, with her voice sounding over-processed. The scene’s excessive cut-aways and Gadot’s apparent lack of effort in mimicking a singer’s breathing for high notes are particularly noticeable.

The Dwarfs, while not dead-eyed, look off, with their appearance more akin to Dobby from Harry Potter. The voice cast, however, captures the endearing energy of the beloved magical creatures. The film attempts to give them a more involved role by granting them fantastical abilities connected to the gemstones they mine, but this concept is underexplored, feeling like a loose thread. While it’s an improvement over past CG Disney sidekicks, a better approach could have been taken to balance technical aspects with the actors’ performances, avoiding the uncanny valley effect.

Having two significant elements of the Snow White tale miss the mark is an unfortunate trend in Disney live-action remakes, as seen in Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. At least Snow White offers new songs that create a storybook romance for a new generation, teaching that wishes can come true with effort and potentially come with a prince.

Overall, Snow White is an enchanting musical with an empowering message about standing against a vain and evil tyrant. Although it stumbles with digital enhancements, fans may still appreciate its charm. Disney’s live-action remakes have a rocky history, but Snow White hits a decently charming note, even if it may not fill detractors with confidence ahead of upcoming remakes like Lilo & Stitch and Tangled. One thing is certain: Zegler has solidified her place as this generation’s Snow White, enriching the franchise.

Snow White will be released in theaters on March 21.

For more io9 news, check out the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about Doctor Who.