As best said by Liana Bhindi (9), “Snow White is a classic.” It’s the first of Disney’s iconic princesses, and a childhood staple for teens and young adults alike. And, while not the first of Disney’s hits to do so, this legendary story just received its live action remake. If you haven’t watched the cartoon nor the live action Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, I’d recommend steering clear of this spoiler-filled article.

Featuring The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes star Rachel Zegler and Wonder Woman Gal Gadot, the new movie combines the original tale with a few new twists. Brooke Holmes (9) remarked that she “liked the plot” of the original, which I agree to be the iconic storyline that likely set off the trend of evil stepmothers. The live-action movie’s plot compares to the original in that the titular character Snow White is locked away in her evil stepmother’s castle and forced to act as her servant despite being a princess by birthright. Her stepmother is obsessed with power and ‘fairness’, marrying Snow White’s father only to send him off and essentially rule as the sole monarch in his stead. She’s accompanied by her magic mirror, whom she relies on to learn who is the fairest of them all. One day, the mirror answers that Snow White is the fairest, setting off her stepmother’s resentment of Snow White.

But after that, more and more differences begin to emerge. Snow White’s Prince Charming isn’t a prince at all; rather, he’s the leader of a ragtag band of thieves who operate in the name of Snow White’s father, who once brought kindness to their towns. Snow White herself is vastly different from the original, especially in that she wants to take back her kingdom, not just live happily with her love interest. The Evil Queen/Evil Stepmother’s fate also contrasts sharply with the cartoon Snow White as a result of Snow White’s more proactive stance in the live action. Instead of being thrust off a cliff by the dwarves and animals, her own guards turn against her in a final confrontation between her and Snow White. Upset at their ‘betrayal’, she rushes to her magic mirror, shattering it in her rage and trapping herself inside. Rather than run off with her prince, Snow White rules in her kingdom and brings back the fairness that her father once bestowed.

I personally wasn’t too bothered by the changes, though there were parts I thought were unnecessarily changed (such as the prince not being a prince at all) and parts I thought were rightfully altered (the stepmother having an arguably less gorey demise). The acting was cringe-worthy at times and I found myself with the strong desire to leave the theater to laugh an alarming amount of times. The single worst part, though, was the CGI dwarf faces, which looked as though they’d taken the cartoon dwarves and turned them 3D, slapped them in with actual people, and called it a day. They were freakishly out of place, and I still don’t see why they couldn’t have hired actual dwarves. Still, it wasn’t the worst piece of film I’ve ever seen, and certainly worth at least attempting to see, if only for the excuse to buy popcorn and soda.

All in all, the new live action Snow White is nowhere near as iconic as the original, but we must remember that even coming close is a tall order to fill. So, taking that grain of salt, it’s still worth checking out for Disney fans and those looking for a taste (but just a taste) of their childhood.