Movie Review - Mirror Mirror

Mirror Mirror (2012)

Starring Lily Collins, Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer, and Nathan Lane

Directed by Tarsem Singh

No one was more surprised than me to discover that Mirror Mirror wasn't nearly as bad as its heinous trailer advertised it to be.  A case of lowered expectations certainly worked in this film's favor, so take this review with that in mind, but for what this movie is -- a slightly re-imagined, humorous take on the Snow White tale aimed at kids and their parents -- Tarsem Singh's visually gorgeous and sumptuous spin is inventive and unique enough to make you feel as if you're not watching the same tired fairytale over again.

Rather than anchor the film around Snow White, Mirror Mirror certainly places its emphasis on the Wicked Queen, played here in an over-the-top scenery chewing performance by Julia Roberts.  Obviously hamming it up and seemingly having a blast, Roberts appears to be relishing this opportunity to play evil.  Clothed in some of the most ambitious, colorful, and flamboyant costumes I've seen in years (courtesy of the late Eiko Ishioka), anytime the Queen wasn't onscreen, you longed for her to return.

And given that this film is, at its core, a story about Snow White, the lack of creating an interesting story for Snow herself is perhaps the film's biggest disappointment.  Lily Collins plays Snow White as innocent, yet with a modern-day spunk that is typically attributed to princesses in films today (think Rapunzel in Tangled) and she's quite good and absolutely engaging in the role.  In fact, she's almost about as perfect as one can get in terms of casting the "ultimate image" of Snow White.  However, despite having a bit more independent take on the character, the screenwriters couldn't give Snow nearly enough of an interesting storyline to compete with her wicked stepmother.

The rest of the cast of characters we've come to expect from Snow White tales are present as well.  Armie Hammer plays a suave yet smarmy Prince with much exuberance and the Seven Dwarves are given a bit of an interesting spin as they turn into thieves stealing from the rich.  There's also a nice sidekick role for Nathan Lane that provides a bit of humor (although he's certainly overshadowed by Roberts in their scenes together).

But the real star of the show (beyond Roberts' performance) is the previously mentioned costumes (which deserve an Oscar nomination...and likely an Oscar win) and rather ingenious production designs.  Director Tarsem Singh is known for his attention to detail when it comes to these areas and Mirror Mirror is no different.  For those reasons alone, Mirror Mirror is worth a watch.  It's not without its flaws and its humor does skew a bit young, but with the nice performance from Julia Roberts and the fantastic visuals, you likely won't be disappointed with a rental of this one.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-