Two quick hit review, friends.
SNOW WHITE (2025)
I have a kiddo and I like the movies, so the two things collided as we took her to see this film. I admit that I am not keen on musicals and didn’t have much interest in the film but the deluge of petty hate the film got made me want to see it.
And it is really petty hate.
People get all up in their feelings when something is changed with a FAIRY TALE. So, none of this is real, and it’s an adaptation of an animated film that interpreted a classic fairy tale. Good grief. People are clowns. Go into it and like or dislike the film on its own merits. That’s it.
The film is very pretty, with bland music and decent performances. I feel like the evil queen could have been much more sinisterly, and Godot should have leaned into making her an iconic baddie. It’s true, the dwarves look a little weird—not bad, but weird. The film feels very generic, with nothing really special about it. Zegler is very good as Snow, given much more to do than the original one from the animated film.
The changes in the film are really where things shine here. It needed updating and it works because of that. I know that everything is called “woke” these days but yo, if you want a movie about a fey princess that just prances and sings and wants a man to save her then you have the animated film. They give Snow more agency here and give everyone else more depth. The dwarves particularly feel much more fleshed out, which was refreshing.
Whether this film stands the test of time is to be seen, but it’s a well-made, harmless movie that my kiddo enjoyed. The movie tanking could be because people aren’t interested, but odds are a lot of that has more to do with the concerted effort the Right makes to torpedo anything they decide is “woke.” The film isn’t “woke,” it just doesn’t need to treat the princess, the STAR OF THE STORY, as if she’s infantile and needs to be saved.
It’s a pretty, enjoyable film with forgettable music and more darkness than I anticipated. Don’t believe the nonsense that people with an axe to grind give you. This is a sweet story with some great moments and far from sullies the reputation of the original.
3 out of 5
CAPTAIN AMERICA: Brave New World
It’s utterly fascinating seeing how Trumpism is being reflected in the movies we’re seeing. From SNOW WHITE to CAPTAIN AMERICA you see it, and the pushback against cruelty and authoritarianism. It’s refreshing. The messages will get watered down as he clamps down on everything that gives him a tickle in his potty but I appreciate it.
One of the biggest issues with the new Cap and the newest Marvel movies is that fans won’t let go of the past. They want the old stars and heroes they grew up with. Comic fans are no different from movie-going ones here. They like the stuff they know and grew up with. They like recognizable people and stories. Marvel does themselves no favors by often overstuffing their movies but really, they have become like the comics now. You are either into them or you aren’t. You can’t get mad that you don’t understand a movie that’s part of a franchise 20 films deep. Get over it or get on by. Just like comic books have big events that are led into, and that there are repercussions from. You can dive into the big event but how it comes together and what it means comes in later comics.
The new Cap movie is very fun and I really liked what it had to say and what it did. I think Marvel screwed themselves by showing Red Hulk because it made people think he was a bigger part of things than he is.
I get it, they needed a villain to show for advertising, but it skewed expectations.
The new Captain America is great. They let him be different have his own personality and his own dynamic. There are too many characters here, as is always the case. I dig the villains, their reasoning, and their resolutions. The big action sequences are great. It’s a very fun movie. No, it’s not as good as the other Cap movies, but those had the benefit of the “classic” actors and some big, big comic stories they were telling. This sets the new Cap up as the new leader, and he deserves it. It’s not a perfect film, but I dug the message and what they were doing. Mackey is really good in this, Ford does a nice job, and so does Tim Blake Nelson. The rest of the cast are good but these were the standouts for me. There’s one shot of Red Hulk that was framed perfectly and looks like it’s from a horror film. It was great.
We’re at a point where you either love or hate Marvel and superhero stuff. While these films shouldn’t crowd out other films from the market, they are fun, and why are the kinds of movies that many of us fell in love with going to the movies in the first place. We need art films, but we also need big, loud, popcorn movies too.
Definitely worth a look for the fans.
It’s better than you’ve been led to believe it is.
3.5 out of 5
The Spooky World of Chris Ringler 