Mirror Mirror is a confusing movie. The marketing can’t stop saying what a great family film this is. And yet, it’s directed by Tarsem Singh, whose previous films are Immortals, The Fall, and The Cell. It casts Julia Roberts in a role that requires her to be evil … but it’s Julia Roberts so that only goes so far. And it may have beaten Snow White and the Huntsmen to a release date, but it carries no real sense of freshness outside of Singh’s visuals.
Huh. That’s pretty much the review in a nutshell.
Attempting to make this more than a one-paragraph review, I’m sure there are plenty of people who will find some charm in this, as the dwarfs are a fun bunch (though the renaming of them in order to de-Disneyfy things felt like a 6-year old chose things). Armie Hammer does an okay job of playing a slightly vain Prince who learns that Snow White isn’t quite the helpless damsel he’s used to saving. And Lily Collins exudes sweetness and bears an uncanny likeness to Audrey Hepburn.
Still, the whole affair is rather bland, and there isn’t much point in dissecting things any further. The only elements of life are the darker touches Singh injects, but they’re at odds with the overall attempt to make this a family-friendly film. This isn’t the train wreck I had been expecting but if I want a live-action fairy tale, I’ll toss Enchanted into my Blu-ray player. Mirror Mirror hit all the familiar marks, and Singh attempted to add his spin on things but that style works better when you’re not worried about the pre-teen set.
Here’s hoping Kristen Stewart doesn’t wreck the next Snow White movie, which looks to be a far more interesting take on this tale.
GRADE: C
Mirror Mirror hits theaters on March 30, 2012 and is rated PG for some fantasy action and mild rude humor.
