Snow White is finally in theaters–and it already isn’t looking good for the troubled project. A remake of the 1937 animated classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney’s latest live-action offering has become the hottest issue in Hollywood. The film has been at the center of endless controversy, with audiences taking jabs at stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot in particular. After years of bad press and angry clickbait videos, it was all Snow White could do to finally eek its way into theaters, where it debuted to low critical scores and unimpressive box office numbers.

It’s no secret that Snow White was doomed to fail; the controversy surrounding the new movie was simply too intense for it to be anything but a disaster for Disney. Unfortunately, the final product isn’t much to write home about, either, giving the film’s defenders little ground to stand on now that it is finally out. Several inexplicable creative choices leave fans of the original movie at a loss, wondering how this live-action remake came to be. As disappointing as Snow White may be, however, it is still far from the worst live-action remake of an animated Disney classic. That distinct honor goes to a film that came out half a decade ago that completely missed everything fans loved about the original.

Mulan (2020) Stripped Away Everything Fans Loved About the Original

Disney’s Live-Action Remake of Mulan Has None of the Original’s Magic

Words cannot express the level of disappointment I felt when I first watched the 2020 remake of Mulan. The original animated film is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time and I suspect many other cinephiles will agree. While no one asked for any of Disney’s live-action remakes, one can at least hope that new films would be respectful of the source material. Most live-action remakes get flack for the unoriginality of their concept but still draw in fans of the original films, who enjoy reliving their favorite stories from childhood. Mulan somehow botches this very simple concept.

The live-action remake of Mulan takes the original 1998 movie and strips away everything fans loved about it. Mushu, the hilarious dragon voiced by the irreplaceable Eddie Murphy? Gone. The rich story of a girl who must learn how to fight to defend her country? Changed entirely. The worst crime of all, however, is the film’s inexplicable decision to cut all of the songs from the original movie. “Reflection,” Mulan’s emotional ballad is excluded from the film, leaving her character woefully devoid of the inward struggle that made her animated counterpart so interesting. “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” arguably one of the most iconic Disney songs of all time, is missing too. The melodies of these songs are occasionally referenced in Mulan‘s score, but all this does is remind viewers that they could have been watching a better movie instead of this live-action facsimile.

One aspect of the Mulan remake does deserve some credit, however. Mulan is visually stunning, filled with rich colors, beautiful landscapes, and memorable shots. Director Niki Caro and cinematographer Mandy Walker truly do a terrific job of crafting a movie that is wonderful to look at. Filmed in New Zealand and China, the real sets are far superior to the glossy CGI-generated landscapes of most of Disney’s other live-action remakes. If the film itself had been better, I would regret that audiences weren’t able to see it on the big screen. However, Mulan‘s decision to cut everything fun and magical about the original movie leaves me glad I didn’t pay movie theater prices to see it.

Mulan Was a Remake in Name Only

The Mulan Reboot Was Barely Associated With the Original Movie

Image via Disney

The most frustrating thing about Mulan is that it is barely a remake at all. In a strange age of Hollywood filmmaking, many studios seem afraid of making new stories and instead focus on existing IP–hence Disney’s endless barrage of live-action remakes. 2020’s Mulan is a completely different film than the 1998 movie of the same name. It feels very much like someone wanted to tell an original story–or, at the very least, a more faithful version of the original Chinese folktale–but was forced to fit their film into the mold of a beloved classic that audiences already recognized. This arrangement, however, pleased no one. Audiences looking for something more original were left frustrated by Disney’s continuing trend of remaking everything from their ’90s library, while viewers excited to relive the classic original movie were left distraught by the remake’s unfaithful retelling.

Disney Live-Action Remakes of the Last Decade

Film
Year
Rotten Tomatoes
Popcornmeter
IMDb

Cinderella
2015
84%
78%
6.9/10

The Jungle Book
2016
94%
86%
7.3/10

Beauty and the Beast
2017
71%
80%
7.1/10

Lady and the Tramp
2019
67%
49%
6.2/10

Aladdin
2019
57%
94%
6.9/10

The Lion King
2019
51%
88%
6.8/10

Dumbo
2019
46%
47%
6.3/10

Mulan
2020
71%
46%
5.8/10

Pinocchio
2022
27%
27%
5.1/10

The Little Mermaid
2023
67%
94%
7.2/10

Snow White
2025
42%
74%
1.7/10*

* This score was the subject of heavy review-bombing, suggesting it is not accurate.

Aside from the very core story, some musical themes, and the main character’s name, Mulan is completely different from the original movie. The villains are different, Mulan’s love interest has been changed, and most of the fun moments from the original film are absent entirely. Moreover, despite the 2020 film’s supposed attachment to a more realistic story, Mulan is given strange mystical powers that are present in neither the animated film nor the original tale. 2020’s Mulan features one strange change after another until there is almost nothing left that fans of the original movie will recognize. This is the quality that ultimately makes Mulan Disney’s worst live-action remake: it feels embarrassed of its source material. This is the worst mistake that any reboot could ever make. No one wants to watch a rehash that feels ashamed of the original. Even Pinocchio, an all-around awful film that earned lower critical and audience scores than any other Disney remake, at least tries to resemble the original film. By avoiding comparisons to the original Mulan, the 2020 remake doomed itself to being forever remembered as the worst of Disney’s live-action remakes.

Why Snow White Will Fare Better Than Mulan

Snow White Will Be Remembered Better Than Mulan

Right now, Disney’s Snow White remake is the hottest thing to hate. Internet trolls and their ilk will take their victory lap, ranting about how terrible the movie is compared to the original animated classic. However, time may tell a different story. Ultimately, Snow White does its best to honor its source material. Audiences may not have liked the way the film accomplishes this mission, but at least it tried. Most of the iconic songs from the 1937 film are still present in the remake, though “Someday My Prince Will Come” is noticeably absent. All of the beloved supporting characters play a role in the film. All the pieces that make Snow White a classic are there, even if the remake is far from the best Disney has made. Unlike Mulan, Snow White tries to be like the original movie. It fails in many aspects but still captures elements of the magic that made fans fall in love with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs almost ninety years ago.

Upcoming Disney Live-Action Remakes

Film
Release Date

Lilo & Stitch
May 23, 2025

Moana
July 10, 2026

Hercule
TBA

Robin Hood
TBA

The Aristocats
TBA

Bambi
TBA

Tangled
TBA

Ten years from now, when all the fervor has died down, audiences might have a better opinion of Snow White. Rachel Zegler, for all the controversy her casting created, is an undeniably electric lead with all the qualities that go into making an iconic Disney princess. Gal Gadot plays against type as the Evil Queen, chewing scenery in a wonderfully campy performance. Best of all, their characters feel like their animated counterparts, even if they have been updated in certain ways to better reflect modern times. Years in the future, children who grew up with this version of the film won’t care about the controversy its production generated. They’ll just see Snow White.