Mirror Mirror

Mirror Mirror
Director: Tarsem Singh
Stars: Julia Roberts, Lily Collins and Armie Hammer

This is yet another instance where I think film critics weren't hugged enough as children.  Mirror Mirror was silly, campy and goofy.  BUT IT WAS MEANT TO BE!  This is not a serious movie.  It's a fun time with a cute spin on an old classic.  There's no need to over think it.  Is it perfect?  No.  But it was fun and pretty to look at and sometimes that's enough.

Also...it's totally family friendly.  I specifically think girls of just about any age would get a kick out of it.  Plus there's a nice little message about girls being capable of rescuing themselves and I'm all for that.  If you have any interest in this movie see it in a theater.  Tarsem's work really is best on a big screen.

So the story is a known one and I think we're getting weary of the fairy tale stuff.. We've OD'd on vampires and so I think next up is all this fractured fairy tale stuff.  I think that doesn't help this movie, especially when Snow White and the Huntsman looks so good.  But Mirror Mirror was fine as far as the story goes.  The pacing was fine.  The tweaks were good.  Overall it worked for me.

The direction was good. I'm sure I've mentioned my love for Tarsem before and had been slightly disappointed in Immortals.  I was really afraid this was going to be awful but it wasn't at all.  Yes, it's terribly silly but it's obvious that was his intention.  Julia Roberts hammed it up and seemed like she enjoyed every minute of it.  Armie Hammer was also able to just go for it and had to be in some situations that would have given many other actors some pause.  The dwarves were great too and I enjoyed how they utilized.  Lily Collins may have been the only one who didn't jump in with both feet but mostly she was fine.  The costumes were incredible and sets were beautiful.  That's why I love Tarsem.  I want to see a thing of beauty and he does that.

In fact I was with the movie all the way until the credits rolled and we were given a Bollywood number.  It was a little strange but still kind of fun.  I think the only other real distracting thing on the screen were Snow's eyebrows.  They were serious.