Mirror, Mirror: Movie Review

Mirror, Mirror is not a live-action remake of Disney's 1937 animated classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Sure, it has a beautiful, fair-skinned princess, an evil queen, a house full of dwarfs and a charming prince, but the similarities taper off there.

Starring Oscar winner Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer and Nathan Lane, Mirror, Mirror tells Snow White's story in an untraditional way, pulling from many versions of the age-old fairy tale. Some of the modern twists director Tarsem Singh (Immortals) employs work, while others don't.

THE MOVIE IN A MINUTE

Ever since her father's premature death when she was a little girl, Snow White has lived under the rule of the evil queen. On her 18th birthday, Snow disobeys the queen's orders and ventures out of the palace to see her kingdom and meet the people. Snow White soon discovers what the queen's cruelty has done to her father's once joyous kingdom. A visiting royal, Prince Alcott, wants to help, but is manipulated by the queen, and Snow is sent into the woods to be killed. There, Snow finds safety among seven dwarfs who live deep in the forest, until she's ready to reclaim her kingdom.

THE GOOD AND BAD IN MIRROR, MIRROR

Visually captivating, due mostly to the extravagant costumes, Mirror, Mirror is truly a sight to see. However, the movie loses its magic as overly campy humor overshadows its truly comical moments.

Julia Roberts is charmingly evil as the queen, contrasting well with the innocence of actress Lilly Collin's Snow White. Social Network's Armie Hammer, whom Christian moviegoers may recognize as the actor who played Billy Graham in the biopic, Billy: The Early Years, fulfills the princely role of Alcott with the campiness and charm asked of him.

Most audiences will subconsciously compare director Tarsem Singh's modern take to the Disney animated version from 1937. In Singh's version, Snow decides to take matters into her own hands instead of waiting for the queen to find her. The state of the kingdom compels her to reclaim her inheritance showing Snow White fight for the "least of these". There's a moment in Mirror, Mirror when the magic mirror says, everyone has magic within them; they just don't know how to use it wisely. Deeper than that, the movie speaks to how vanity and greed corrupts and how good, seemingly weak people, can conquer powerful evil.

Rated PG for some fantasy action and mild rude humor, Mirror, Mirror contains material unsuitable for young children, including scenes with a scary dragon-like creature. Magic is used for comic effect, but also for sinister means. The queen switches between the two extremes, getting the laugh and then coming across as very menacing and dark. Also, the prince appears shirtless in long underwear several times and appears in the queen's bed chambers under the spell of "puppy love".

IN THE END

Mirror, Mirror is playful and entertaining, but it's just too silly to become a fairy tale favorite.