Of the two movies based on the Snow White story coming out this year, Mirror, Mirror always felt like the weakest. Snow White And The Huntsman has the bigger budget, the two next big things at the moment (Kristin Stewart and Chris Hemsworth), and just an overall tone that seems to appeal to the early teens to the late twenties set that have the most disposable income. I will admit I judged Mirror, Mirror by it's trailer, and what struck me was the cheesiness of it all. It just seemed like the generic family fare that's churned out to keep the kids entertained and the adults checking their watches to see when it's over. So when I sat down to watch Tarsem Singh's take on the age old fairytale, I was pleasently surprised.
Giving a new twist on tale, Julia Roberts plays the wicked queen of a beleaguered land who keeps her step daughter Snow White (Lilly Collins) locked up, mainly out of jealousy. Running out of money, and having taxed her people to the last, the queen attempts to marry Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) to keep her lavish life style. When Alcott and Snow White show feelings for each other, the queen orders that her step daughter be killed. Snow White survives the attempt and falls in with a band of dwarf bandits, with whom she attempts to take back her kingdom and Alcott, who has fallen under the queens spell.
If there is anybody best suited to bring a fairy tale to life on the big screen, it is Tarsem Singh. Known for his fantastic and unique visual style in films such as The Fall and Immortals, he really captures the magic of the fairy tale. Starting with the films back story presented through a puppet show using porcelain dolls (very reminiscent of the animated sequence in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part One), the movie is visually stunning. From an animal themed fancy dress ball to the dwarfs using stilts when out thieving, it looks outstanding. This really helps bring you into the movie, and it dispeled any initial fears I had, and I enjoyed the movie more because of it. The rest of the film holds up well enough. Roberts seems to be having fun as the queen, really playing up the wickedness. Lilly Collins is suited to her role, playing up the sweetness and innocence, and Hammer and Nathan Lane do their supporting roles well. The highlight for me was the dwarfs, who include some recognisable faces for fans of Scrubs and In Bruges. They are just there for comic relief, but do it very well. The tone of the film is similar, but not to the same extent, of the early Shrek movies, so the kids will be entertained and the adults will get a kick out of it too.
The film does fall down in certain places though. There is a very disjointed feel to the whole thing, and the pace is too quick, especially towards the end. In fact it ends very abruptly and closes out with that most wretched of things: an out of place dance number. Also a sub plot about the queens use of black magic, personified by an emotionless reflection of the queen in a mirror, feels tacked on and out of place, as does an action sequence involving giant, possessed marionettes. It is exciting and well realized, but it doesn't fit well with the rest of the film.
All in all, it is an enjoyable film, and in the battle of the Snow White movies it is a solid enough opening shot.
Giving a new twist on tale, Julia Roberts plays the wicked queen of a beleaguered land who keeps her step daughter Snow White (Lilly Collins) locked up, mainly out of jealousy. Running out of money, and having taxed her people to the last, the queen attempts to marry Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) to keep her lavish life style. When Alcott and Snow White show feelings for each other, the queen orders that her step daughter be killed. Snow White survives the attempt and falls in with a band of dwarf bandits, with whom she attempts to take back her kingdom and Alcott, who has fallen under the queens spell.
If there is anybody best suited to bring a fairy tale to life on the big screen, it is Tarsem Singh. Known for his fantastic and unique visual style in films such as The Fall and Immortals, he really captures the magic of the fairy tale. Starting with the films back story presented through a puppet show using porcelain dolls (very reminiscent of the animated sequence in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part One), the movie is visually stunning. From an animal themed fancy dress ball to the dwarfs using stilts when out thieving, it looks outstanding. This really helps bring you into the movie, and it dispeled any initial fears I had, and I enjoyed the movie more because of it. The rest of the film holds up well enough. Roberts seems to be having fun as the queen, really playing up the wickedness. Lilly Collins is suited to her role, playing up the sweetness and innocence, and Hammer and Nathan Lane do their supporting roles well. The highlight for me was the dwarfs, who include some recognisable faces for fans of Scrubs and In Bruges. They are just there for comic relief, but do it very well. The tone of the film is similar, but not to the same extent, of the early Shrek movies, so the kids will be entertained and the adults will get a kick out of it too.
The film does fall down in certain places though. There is a very disjointed feel to the whole thing, and the pace is too quick, especially towards the end. In fact it ends very abruptly and closes out with that most wretched of things: an out of place dance number. Also a sub plot about the queens use of black magic, personified by an emotionless reflection of the queen in a mirror, feels tacked on and out of place, as does an action sequence involving giant, possessed marionettes. It is exciting and well realized, but it doesn't fit well with the rest of the film.
All in all, it is an enjoyable film, and in the battle of the Snow White movies it is a solid enough opening shot.
