EpicMickey

(2013-05-21 15:14:40)

A colorful fairytale adaption

From the very start of the film, the audience can tell its in for avisual treat. "Mirror Mirror" opens with the queen giving the storybackground (which is shown by porcelain dolls; a very creative choiceon the director's part). The film never lacks in taste or boring sets.From the town to the castle to the forest, stunning costumes and lavishsets abound. The script suffers a bit here and there. The film may have been betteroff without the occasional rude humor (thanks one hundred percent tothe dwarfs). The queen contributes to most of the humor with her grandability to spit sarcasm and one liners with little effort. JuliaRoberts fits into her character beautifully. Armie Hammer and LilyCollins make convincing characters as the prince and Snow White. I mustadd though, the film goes by at a rather slow pace. A minor complaintbut worth mentioning. Quite possibly my favorite thing about "Mirror Mirror" is thepresentation of the Mirror. The director gave us the last thing wewould expect for the Mirror (It resides in a shack in the middle oflake which is in the actual Mirror). Five star representation in myopinion. The film also noticeably twists the classic story by having Snow Whitesave the prince from a rather interesting (ahem... embarrassing) spellwith a kiss. Unlike other feministic films of late (most noticeablyAlice in Wonderland), the film quenches the blatant feminism themeswith a wonderful old fashioned fairy tale. The critics like to call out"Mirror Mirror" for lacking a unique touch or individuality. I wouldargue that the film's unique touch is its over-the-top sets andcostumes and why would we want something different than a an classicfairy tale. I would also argue in favor of the Bollywood-esque ending. The song anddance compliments the film with a magical touch. In conclusion, the film does have its minor downsides but remains aclassic film worth remembering. "Mirror Mirror" outshines Disney's"Enchanted" and "Alice in Wonderland" in fairy tale scale and no filmcan match its grand opulence.

copella_c

(2013-05-21 04:32:52)

I came to this movie knowing nothing about it....

...apart from the fact it looked to be a Snow White film.The intro had Julia Roberts trying for an English accent (I think -either that or failing at an American one) and the intro to the story.The next 106 minutes was a blur of utter rubbish, a tedious storyline,some dwarf bandits, and generally a wonderful example of how to miss agreat opportunity. Why are films being dumbed down to such an extent? I watchedKindergarten Cop last night and it was a great example of a kid's filmthat works for adults, too (because, guess what, most good parentsdon't dump their kids in a cinema - they have to watch the film, too)Enough of the tiresome slapstick humour, please!Slight spoiler here: it ends with a load of white people miming to aBollywood-esque song that is just plain embarrassing. 'nuff said.1/10 - because I can't give it any lower.

Mark Dujsik

(2013-05-20 09:05:28)

Even Tarsem's visual flair in Mirror Mirror becomes commonplace as the movie plummets into the realm of the insufferable.

Doddi

(2013-05-19 20:32:40)

Sometimes you simply fall in love with a movie!

Okay, falling in love is maybe exaggerating a bit, but I get thisfeeling sometimes when watching movies... I just ... love them. Twoother examples of such films are Stardust and Love Actually.In another review (Snow White and the Huntsman) I compared these twofilms a bit and found Mirror Mirror superior on every level. I won'trepeat myself here.DIRECTOR: Tarsem Singh is a visionary director (The Cell and The Fallare proof of that). And I was so happy seeing his handy work here. Whenthe queen enters the mirror and into her private little world, Ithought: Typical Tarsem :-) But he is also so powerful with emotionsand letting actors enjoy themselves, and it takes a skill to mingle somany persons together and never letting them fall out of character.ACTING: In my opinion, Lily Collins was magnificent as Snow White, sonatural and naturally beautiful. Did this with ease and grace andvulnerability and humor. Powerful actress! Julia Roberts and ArmieHammer did their work superbly, and the seven dwarfs...?? Loved themall so much! Chuckles was so lovable-always laughing, Butcher wasgreat, Wolf as well, Grimm great, Napoleon funny, Grub made me hungryfor more, and the horny yet lovable Half Pint ... they were all amazingdue to great work on the writers' part and Tarsem's and the sevenactors of course! Fabulous work from everybody.MUSIC: Alan Menken is a maestro in movie music. Very simple. Nice touchhere. And that adorable song in the end: I believe in love ... lovedit. Fun Bollywood scene and feeling.Everything else was tip-top in my opinion; costumes, cinematography,art direction, etc. ...This is such a feel good movie and I cannot understand why it isgetting such a low score. It feels natural and it flows normally. Don'tmiss out on this one. Please, don't!

Sandie Angulo Chen

(2013-05-19 01:02:21)

Visually appealing fairy tale lacks oomph but fine for kids.

Kimberley Jones

(2013-05-18 18:38:56)

This umpteenth reiteration of the fairy tale has held fast to its most tiresome aspects: Snow White's dull sweetness and the evil Queen's one-track motivation.

Michael_Elliott

(2013-05-18 02:15:18)

Bland Telling of the Classic Story

Mirror Mirror (2012) ** (out of 4) The first of two Snow White productions from major studios, this onefeaturing Julia Roberts as the evil Queen who wants to be the mostbeautiful and in order to be so she has Snow White (Lily Collins)killed. Snow White isn't killed but instead takes up with seven dwarfsas they plan to steal the Queen's power. This is a very loose retellingof the Brothers Grimm story and the end result is sadly disappointing.I think there were some decent things here and there but overall thefilm was just too cute for its own good and the story never really tookoff. The story itself was the major problem for a number of reasonswith the biggest being the fact that you never really dislike the Queenand you never really care for Snow White. It seems as if the directorexpected you to already know these characters (which most do) and heexpected you to like and hate them but that doesn't work in the moviebecause you just never feel anything for them. Even sillier is thePrince who is just played for slapstick and unfunny slapstick at that.Roberts was just so-so in her part as she was pretty good when it washer turn to be bad but the screenplay seemed afraid to make youcompletely bad so they gave her comic moments, which are just reallybad and the actress can't deliver any of the lines. Collins certainlylooked the part of Snow White but she didn't bring too much life to thepart. Nathan Lane plays his typical sidekick role. The look of the filmitself was quite impressive but the only thing that keeps this frombeing a complete dud where the performances from the seven actorsplaying the dwarfs. They each bring a passion and energy to their rolesand without them this movie would have been an even bigger drag to sitthrough.

Anthony Morris

(2013-05-17 22:42:01)

Mirror Mirror isn't the kind of classic that wins big awards or lavish praise. It's just a really sweet, charming film, and we can never have enough of those.

Quietb-1

(2013-05-15 04:36:09)

Scattered Snow flurries.

If you have Julia Roberts on board you make the movie, even if there isno reason to tell this story again.Good family entertainment. Best appreciated if you see it with yourdaughter or grand-daughter. If you have a strong woman in Snow Whitewhy do they have to dumb down the Prince? Snow is pretty even with eyebrows that rival Andy Rooney. The dwarfs are an interesting group and ahighlight.Very good looking movie with great art direction and costume design.There's even a Ballywood song ending. Go with low expectations and youwill be pleasantly surprised.

Mackerel Skies

(2013-05-14 18:17:48)

"Meh."

When it first came out, I watched and enjoyed Tarsem's "The Fall." Myoverall impression was "gorgeous, but rather empty in the storydepartment." But I forgave it because it was really, really, *really*pretty to watch. I was hoping to see an improvement in Snow Whitebecause he already has a story to work with, but oddly enough I foundthe exact same problem cropped up. Everything is really lovely, but theactual story - no, the characters themselves, are so, *so* bland thatit's impossible to feel invested in anything that happens. Even therelationships feel non-existent. Snow White and the prince neverclicked - there's a big problem right there for what's basically a lovestory wrapped in a fairy tale. The Prince has a lackey who I assume wasonly there for (failed) comedy relief, in that eventually he gets sentoff on an errand AND COMPLETELY DISAPPEARS with no explanationwhatsoever. I didn't feel any real antagonism going on between SnowWhite and her stepmother, either. Snow White goes from spineless wimpto "hey look at me, I'm a superwoman!" with little more than a montageto explain the change. Don't get me wrong, I really love the idea ofgetting some strong female role models into the movies, but the montagescene which worked fabulously in The Muppets completely fails toconvince in this case. The dwarfs were just updated versions of theDisney dwarfs - wise-cracking roughnecks, each with a 'wacky'personality trait that determined their name and their wholepersonality.Really, the whole movie just gave a general sense of the charactersreacting to events not for personal and important reasons, but with "Imust do a because b!" And really, if I'm thinking in formula while I'mwatching the movie, it's not a good sign.Oddly, this movie couldn't seem to decide whether to indulge in clichГѓВ©sor rise above them, so we get a good mix of both, neither of whichparticularly works. ClichГѓВ©s abound, such as a single and completelypointless scene with Snow White and a bird in the beginning. Thechanges they did make seem rather pointless - e.g. Sean Bean's fate.There was literally no point to his existence. Well, I mean to hischaracter's existence. Sean Bean can exist all he wants. Preferably inmy vicinity. Preferably in his Boromir outfit.*ahem*As I was saying, this is probably good enough for kids - unlike thisreview, it's age appropriate with only a few scary scenes. Adults willlikely not enjoy this movie because it fails to engage.

rhyous-1

(2013-05-13 23:16:32)

Not too bad of a show for families with kids

I saw this movie last night. The bad... 1. The writing wasn't very good, or else the directing failed. 2. The connections (references to previous scenes or dialog) seemedforced. 3. Julia Roberts is only a half-believable Antagonist. (Is this herfirst move as an Antagonist? It looked like it.) 4. The attempts at humor were there but most attempts fell flat. 5. The alteration of the Snow White story went too far. 6. The acting by Armie Hammer (Prince Alcott) was poor and I didn'tfeel he embraced the Prince role but the scenes he was forced to act inmight actually be to blame, not his acting. 7. While leaving we saw a poster for Snow White and the Huntsman and mywife said something like: "I want to see that one. I hope it is betterthan this one".The good... 1. It was very clean and child friendly. - No vulgarity and fewinnuendos. - The violence was little more than playful sword play. -Only the very end was there a seen that would be intense for a child.2. The costumes were beautiful (at least my wife kept talking aboutthem). 3. The absurdity of the movie was the best part about it. 4. It was just barely good enough to entertain me not bore me. 5. Lily Collins was the star (no Julia Roberts and I like Julia a lot).She was beautiful and out acted every other character in the movie. Herstarring role "might" be enough to keep this show from flopping. 6. Some of the attempts at humor were actually quite funny.I would recommend it for families with kids as it is a light story thatyou can follow while distracted.

Bookish 66

(2013-05-13 15:53:42)

Surprisingly fun

I went to the cinema with a friend, not quite sure what to expect. Tomy surprise it was quite a fun movie! It's basically a re-telling ofSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but with a lot more fighting anddanger inside. If you don't like ''parody'' type movies - which this isnot, but seems slightly like - then I suggest you watch a differentmovie. I found Julia Robert's performance as the evil Queen hilarious.She definitely had all the jokes in the script, and timed themperfectly. The actress playing Snow White was quite good, althoughsometimes stuck with those really cringe-worthy lines annoyed me. Theseven dwarfs were great too!All in short, quite a good film. Took me by surprise. My friend and Iwent out of the cinema laughing our heads off. 7/10

Left-Handed_Liz

(2013-05-10 11:24:00)

Not all re-tellings have to be "edgy"

I was really interested in seeing this movie from the start, but thenegative press and the corny trailer made me lower my expectationssomewhat. There was something about it, though, that still made me wantto go see it, even if it turned out to be good for nothing except eyecandy. However, my initial skepticism went right out the window at thestunning opening sequence, recounting the prologue in animation thatwas part puppet theater, part illustration.Indeed, the visuals in this film are stunning, as are the costumes,both of which are fully on display, but the actors are neveroverwhelmed by their sumptuous surroundings. Julia Roberts is clearlyhaving a wonderful time as the kind of character she should have beenself-aware enough to play a long time ago. Lily Collins turns in asweet, earnest performance that comes off as the perfect compromisebetween the traditional and "modern" fairytale princess. Her dedicationto what could have been a phoned-in ingГѓВ©nue is actually ratherimpressive. The supporting cast wears somewhat thin (namely, a few ofthe dwarfs), but the director thankfully realizes that this is afairytale, not a cartoon, and the audience is spared from most painfulmugging. The main weaknesses of the film, then, are the comedy and thestoryline. While I had plenty of giggles, and the dialogue isn't nearlyas bad as the trailer made it seem, between the dwarfs and the queen,there are more than a few gags that get repeated over and over, andlines that, depending on who you are, will elicit a chuckle or a groan.While the Snow White story isn't altered radically, and most of therevisions come off as embellishment, there are a handful of set piecesthat clash with the tone, and come off as contrived or pointless.Still, several of the changes are more than welcome, even if they comeat the cost of the more iconic points of the story being overlooked.For my part, I believe that this plucky Snow would handle the poisonapple scenario exactly the way she did here, and it made me smile tosee it in the finale. I'm a big fan of fairy tales, whimsy (in healthy doses), and visuals asbig as the imagination, so I recommend "Mirror Mirror" to fans of thesame, and appreciators of films like "Enchanted" and "MirrorMask". It'sa fun, heart-filled escapist artwork, good for more than a fewviewings.

Christy Lemire

(2013-05-10 03:11:42)

The dialogue and the action are, for the most part, rather dull and weirdly devoid of energy.

jjramesch

(2013-05-07 22:56:14)

A Bit Wacky, Watchable

Reading some of the criticism this film has gotten online, you mightthink the film makers simply missed the mark on this one. But I don'tthink that's the case. It is clearly a film that set out to be spoofyand a bit wacky. So it's not like they set out to make a rivetingfantasy like Snow White & the Huntsman and then fell short. If you keepthat in mind while watching Mirror Mirror, you'll have a much bettertime.While it is not my favorite spoof (I still think the first Scream filmtakes the cake), I do think that it's pretty good as far as the wholespoof thing goes. (Keeping in mind that most spoofs are so bad you wantto tune out after the first few minutes). While there were no "laughout loud" moments, the quirky humor was fun. Julia Roberts, as always,holds your attention every minute she's on screen. The twists on theoriginal Snow White movie were cute, albeit in a way that childrenmight appreciate more than adults.This is the kind of movie that could disappoint true film lovers ifthey pay a lot to see it in a theater. But it's a fun flick for a lazySunday at home.

siderite

(2013-05-07 17:01:02)

Failing on almost all levels, a comedy that was not funny

I rarely grade a movie with "boring" , because I often find interestingbits in even the most commercial or badly made film. In this one,however, I can only appreciate the CGI people.Mirror Mirror tries to be a comedy, a reinventing of the Snow Whitestory, seen from the queen's perspective. But it is not. All the actionis from Snow White's point of view. It tries to be funny, but it isnot, I have only smirked at some of the New York style jokes (sarcasticand self deriding, often linked to some cultural meme of the moment),which were few and far between. It tries to be a romance, but itfeatures a ridiculous prince and a teenage weirdo, the couple having nochemistry whatsoever. It isn't scary at all and, if it ever tried, itfailed there as well.Julia Roberts did try to save the film, but she could not. The scriptwas bad, her role was ridiculous and the bored psycho take on hercharacter must have been a reflection on the film and her apparent needfor money.Bottom line: I would have rated this film a "failed attempt" until thefilm ended with a Bollywood style singalong, symbolising more themarriage between Hollywood and the Indian film industry rather than thehappy marriage between prince and princess. Ned Stark was there and, ofcourse, he passed the sentence himself. Avoid this pretentious piece ofdung.

Kevin Carr

(2013-05-06 11:40:19)

the cinematic equivalent of Jessica Simpson - pretty to look at but vacuous in nature and thought

TheMaster1378

(2013-05-06 06:07:22)

The worst fairytale film of all time, the mockery towards the original 'Snow White' is very disappointing

I know that this is a children's film, and that it is not supposed tobe dark or mysterious or have a sense of seriousness. But this film is,to be put simply, a disaster. A huge disappointment towards the name of'Snow White'. This film rivals with another Snow White fairytale whichhas recently been released starring Twilight's Kristen Stewart andThor's Chris Hemsworth. Although I haven't seen Snow White andHuntsman, there is no doubt that the film could be anywhere near as badas this one.Mirror Mirror brings together an unusual set of circumstances withinthe tale of Snow White. Lily Collin's is our young female antagonist,Snow White. Although she comes across all young and innocent, it turnsout that she is rather handy with a sword. Julia Roberts is our queenwho holds Snow White within her castle and doesn't give a care in theworld about her. To put it short, she has too much fun playing a bitch.Lastly, Armie Hammer plays the prince, a frustrating and haplesscharacter who's cheesiness becomes so annoying you wish that Snow Whitewould just chop him up during a sword-fight. And where is our huntsman,our woodsman, the man who is sent to capture Snow White's heart andbring it to the queen? There is no Chris Hemsworth in this film.The story is meant to be that an evil queen realises that she is notthe fairest of them all and that a young lady by the name of 'SnowWhite' who lives with her seven dwarfs is the fairest. She sends awoodsman to kill her and bring back her heart but he doesn't. He killsan animal instead and brings back that heart. This film is like a trainthat has been completely derailed off of the tracks of the storyline.They may not have wanted to follow it, but the film was terriblewithout it! The dwarfs aren't even called Sleepy, bashful, playful,etc. They have a completely different set of names, and in this film,they don't work at a mine... they are bandits! Who disguise themselvesas giants! What?! They add very little humour (which they are intendedto do) and are a pointless attribute to the storyline.This film is not enjoyable, it is frustrating, a complete waste oftime. It fuels upon dwarfs, madness, a pointless sing-a-long and cheesyacting. Julia Roberts, stick to romantic comedies. So Bad, a piece of cinematic trash

Olly Richards

(2013-05-05 00:10:24)

Superlative performances from Roberts and Hammer almost cover the shortcomings. Like most Tarsem films it's a muddle, but this time not one with enough distracting dazzle.

eden_garnet

(2013-05-04 01:36:22)

Funny and innocent comedy, a sweet version of the classic fairytale.

This movie is what I expected it to be: funny, innocent, refreshing andmagical. It's recommendable for all ages and enjoyable for families,couples and also individuals.First of all, you need to keep in mind that this is NOT a dark twist ofthe original fairytale and also is NOT a deep movie. It's simply, withsome modifications, Snow White. A funny and ironic turn while yetcolorful and innocent, we find a Snow White (Lily Collins) locked inher own castle by her party-loving and evil step-mother, the Queen(Julia Roberts), who exploits a hungry kingdom.Special effects are good, story plot is also good (both classical andoriginal) and characters are interesting. The best of the movie is,without doubt, Julia Robert's acting. To be honest, Collins didn'tsound so reliable in some scenes. The new "mirror mirror" version is better than fine, along with theapple scene. Plot ends complete without unanswered questions, and, ifyou listened correctly to the beginning of the movie, the end will makeperfect sense *SPOILER ALERT* (since they say the people of the kingdomused to dance and sing all the time, and once the kingdom is restoredthey dance and sing again).The only thing I would change about this movie is Sean Bean shortappearance at the end of the movie, such a good actor should have hadsome more scenes in the movie.