The Disney corporation has produced hundreds of movies that stand the test of time. But, not all of the movies are created equally. I’m taking the time to pit two Disney animated films against each other to see which ones are “better.” This article is completely subjective and I’m sure many readers will disagree with my findings. I will be using five criteria for my battle: protagonist, antagonist, supporting characters, music and memorable moments.

So let’s get underway with my first battle: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” vs. “Pinocchio.”

PROTAGONIST

It’s easy to find the protagonists, or main characters, in these films as they are both mentioned in the titles. Snow White is a young princess who is running away from the Evil Queen trying to kill her. She doesn’t do much throughout the film, though. She runs, she cleans the Dwarfs’ cottage, she bites the apple and falls into a deep sleep. There’s not much to her. As for Pinocchio, he’s a puppet that’s turned into a boy. He becomes an actor, goes to Pleasure Island, sets out on the sea to save his father and sacrifices himself for his father. At the end of the day, Pinocchio just does more. Point to Pinocchio.

Snow White 0 | Pinocchio 1

ANTAGONIST

The antagonist, or the villain, is there to stand against the protagonist. The Evil Queen is formidable foe. She finds out Snow White is considered fairer than her and immediately sets out to kill her. She hires the huntsman who ends up driving Snow White into the forest. When she realizes Snow White is still alive, she changes her appearance and sets out to poison Snow White. She takes it upon herself to get the job done and, immediately, gives Disney one of its most iconic villains. “Pinocchio” has two different antagonists. First, there’s Honest John, who convinces Pinocchio to become an actor and then to get on the boat to Pleasure Island. He’s a bad man, without question, but he’s just there as a plot device to lead Pinocchio down the wrong path. Then, there’s Monstro, the great whale. Monstro swallowed Gepetto’s ship and, eventually, swallows Pinocchio, reuniting father and son. Monstro isn’t truly evil, he’s just the next hurdle in the plot. Neither of these villains stand up as iconic. Point to Snow White.

Snow White 1 | Pinocchio 1

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

Snow White has several supporting characters along the way. The Magic Mirror and the Hunstman serve the Evil Queen. Then, she meets the seven dwarfs who all contribute to the story in a memorable way. And, at the beginning and the end, we get to see the first Prince Charming in Disney lore. Almost all of these characters live on in some way. For Pinocchio, while there are plenty of supporting characters, I’m not sure if they stand up. Gepetto serves as Pinocchio’s father, but he’s barely in the film. Figaro and Cleo don’t really talk and neither provides the comic relief like Dopey silently did in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Honest John, Gideon, Lampwick and Monstro all serve purposes but they aren’t really that memorable. Pinocchio’s best supporting character is, of course, Jiminy Cricket. Pinocchio’s conscience is a constant presence that helps advance the plot and makes the movie so good. Jiminy Cricket is the best supporting character in either film, but Snow White has more supporting characters that stand out. Point to Snow White.

Snow White 2 | Pinocchio 1

MUSIC

Both of these films have produced songs that are still heard in Disney compilation playlists today. Snow White has provided us with “Someday My Prince Will Come,” “Whistle While You Work” and “Heigh Ho.” Meanwhile, Pinocchio gave us “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Give a Little Whistle,” “Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee,” and “I’ve Got No Strings.” Both were nominated for Best Original Score at the Academy Awards. But, “Pinocchio” won the Oscar for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “When You Wish Upon a Star,” becoming the first animated film to win a competitive Oscar. “When You Wish Upon a Star” is also the song you hear at the beginning of every single Disney movie that has been released for home media. Point to Pinocchio.

Snow White 2 | Pinocchio 2

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

This may be the most subjective element in this battle because what makes something memorable for one person may be forgettable for others. For “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the moment the Magic Mirror identified Snow White as the fairest of them all, the Dwarfs singing “Heigh Ho,” the dwarfs chasing the Evil Queen to the cliff where she falls to her death and the Prince kissing Snow White to wake her up stand out as memorable moments. Meanwhile, in “Pinocchio,” Gepetto’s wish, Jiminy Cricket singing “When You Wish Upon a Star,” the Blue Fairy bringing Pinocchio to life, Pinocchio singing “I’ve Got No Strings,” Pinocchio lying and his nose growing, Pinocchio starting to turn into a donkey on Pleasure Island, the escape from Monstro and the Blue Fairy making Pinocchio a real boy stand out as memorable moments. By my count, Snow White has 4 memorable moments while Pinocchio has 8. Point to Pinocchio.

Snow White 2 | Pinocchio 3

Calculating the results, “Pinocchio” wins this battle 3 to 2. What did you think? Which film would you say is better? Is it “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” or “Pinocchio?”

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Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

6 Comments

  1. TrueMuppetFan June 29, 2020

    I agree with the author. I like Pinocchio better than Snow White

    1. Haftadance June 29, 2020

      I like this comparison. Snow White has always been more memorable and iconic to me, but I think I'll go rewatch Pinocchio and give it a second chance. Looking forward to the next comparison.

  2. Alex June 29, 2020

    Sorry, but Pinocchio has a giant whale. Instant points

  3. Jessica June 29, 2020

    I need to go back and watch Pinocchio. At first glance, my immediate reaction was that Snow White was the winner. You brought out great points for each!

  4. Sean July 2, 2020

    Pinocchio is my favorite Disney film. The artistry is unsurpassed. In my mind, there is no competition at all. The very theme song is the theme for all Disney. Snow White is #2, then probably Dumbo. The oldest ones, I think, are the most charming. Disney is very much now into modernizing fairy tales and adding a lot of elements of comedy and music, but on the way it lost the charm (imo). That's what I miss the most. I remember reading Peter Pan for the first time and thinking it was the most charming kids story ever. It made me cry. It had me feeling emotions about the childhood I had and will never have again, that longing to be a little boy forever. To see the world as I once did with adventure and magic. Then I realized just how much of that Disney caught when they did their version and it made me appreciate the film even more.

  5. Amy July 7, 2020

    I would of not batted an eye and said Snow White if course. However, you brought up some interesting points about the depth of characters and memorable moments. I haven’t seen either film in quite some time and that’s about to change.