Mirror Mirror Reviews

Key reactions:
+ I enjoyed the fun take on the villain
+ It made me laugh a few times
+ I can appreciate that they were trying to empower the heroine
- I did not buy the chemistry between the princess and prince
- The plotline with the prince's army and Charles Renbock just vanished
- The queen's hair was not wet when coming out of the water so to speak
- I did not like the creative decision to change the fairy tale
- Accents seemed to be American and British which was bothersome

Back in 2012, there were two Snow White movie productions and while ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ was a success (at least, if you consider the box-office results), this movie was a flop. Well, I didn’t care much for ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ but it was still indeed slightly better than this flick. The most saddening effect is the impact it might have on Tarsem Singh’s career. Indeed, I think I have never seen a director rising and then falling so quickly. Indeed, he started with the visually impressive ‘The Cell’, then blew us away with ‘The Fall’ and many, including myself, thought we had one of the most exciting directors but then he gave us two huge misfires (‘Immortals’ and this feature) and there is not much left from those great expectations. I mean, once again, the whole thing looked terrific. Indeed, everything, from the design, the costumes, the sets were just gorgeous but that was probably the only positive thing I can think of. Basically, the story was just terribly underwhelming. Furthermore, even though Lily Collins and Armie Hammer were perfectly cast (Hammer having the most fun with his part), I seriously didn’t care much for Julia Roberts. I mean, it was nice that she tried to be the villain for once but the Evil queen needs to be really evil, not just arrogant and selfish (just check Charlize Theron in ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’, that’s how you should play it). To conclude, it was a really misguided project from the start, it is seriously tedious to watch and I don’t think it is really worth a look.

Since Tim Burton’s uneven Alice in Wonderland made a billion dollars worldwide at the box office, fairy tales are just so hot right now. How else to explain two different versions of the Snow White story hitting the big screen within a few months of each other? Well, Hollywood saw a movie that made a ton of money and wanted a piece of the pie, and the stories are in the public domain, so there’s no pesky writer to pay royalties too.

And on the surface of things, Tarsem Singh’s version should have been the better of the two. Narrative coherence was never his strong selling point, but a feverish, hallucinogenic visual splendor and ripe, overly zealous pageantry are. And a fairy tale seems like the perfect vehicle for his brand of visual overload. But something went terribly wrong in the marriage between material and director.

Mirror Mirror does everything wrong that you could possibly think of with the source material, simultaneously gutting it of the darker, sexual undertones and lifelessly doing nothing interesting or clever to bring a fresh vision to it. It lobotomizes itself and places us in a world as fully realized and blatantly artificial as Fantasy Land in Disney Land.

Perhaps if it hadn’t committed the cardinal sin of being so unbelievably boring I could find myself being kinder to it. But with a glorious, quirky animated introduction that retells the origin of Snow White, her father and how the Wicked Queen came into power through puppets and a pop-up book wonderland my expectations were set too high. Once we realize that Julia Roberts is going to be employing a now-you-hear-it, now-you-don’t British accent and trying her best to toss off sarcastic bon mots (which is not where her gifts lie as an actor), we know we’re in trouble.

Here is a Snow White who is sweet, pure, kind-hearted and in-touch with nature. And here is an Evil Queen, who is not evil, so much as vainglorious, bratty and insecure. Disney’s animated variation could have, and would have, taken this version out with one withering glance and snide half-smile. The balance is off. Fairy tale villains are so engaging, more so than the heroes, because they relish in their evil. They take a great amount of pride in being disturbed, highly sexual and violent beings. They are pure id turned towards our darkest impulses. To remove the venom from the Queen is to neuter the story.

So why did I give this movie two stars instead of half of one? Well, that animated introduction is just beautiful to look at. And Lily Collins and Armie Hammer try their best to make something happen with their characters and the film at large. There’s (maybe) one fresh idea in having the magic mirror transport the Queen to an alternate realm where a version of herself, the nice(r) one, resides and tries to talk her out of her schemes and machinations. And the costumes from Eiko Ishioka are mind-blowingly beautiful and, alternately, completely and utterly ridiculous at the same time. I’ve long been a fan of her costume design work, and this movie is no different.

So those things kept me interested, while the poor CGI (the Beast at the end of the film is cartoonish, rubbery creature that is both hideously designed and horrifically animated), lackluster storytelling (it feels far longer than its 106 minutes), and unnecessary alterations to the storyline (no huntsman, no eating a poisoned apple, nothing that really makes Snow White, well… Snow White, aside from a basic framework and some names), cheap amusement park-like sets and general tedium bored me to tears.

There you have it. Watch Mirror Mirror for the introduction and the costumes. Or, just Google the intro and look at the production stills of the characters. Either way, as long as you avoid the confounding choice to end the movie with a Bollywood style musical number, which I still think doesn’t make any sense.

Mirror Mirror is the first of two 2012 films based on Snow White by The Brothers Grimm (the other being Snow White And The Huntsman). Both films bought something new to the table as we saw the tale told in different set pieces that could have supported each one by overpowering the other. As opposed to Rupert Sanders feature but like the original 1937 animated classic, Mirror Mirror had a much more colourful and child-friendly approach and with a few interesting additions within the cast. Unfortunately, Mirror Mirror went totally out of proportion and, thus, turned into an incredibly corny, unrealistic and chaotic mess.


It is important to note that most feature films based on a book, play or any other source have their own one or two minor adjustments, whether it is plot, characters or even style of filming. In the case of Mirror Mirror, it is particularly the dialogue and sense of atmosphere within the film that is completely altered. For example, it totally stepped away from the Grimm world and felt like a new instalment in The Chronicles Of Narnia franchise. Furthermore, the plot, the corny humour and the majority of the production design bought back bad memories of last year’s Your Highness. Therefore, in that sense, as you’re watching Mirror Mirror, you don’t know whether it is genuinely ripping off the tale or is simply adding its own adjustments. Still, some films work in either of those ways but it went totally wrong for Mirror Mirror.


With Mirror Mirror and Snow White And The Huntsman both as films that are related but illustrate different perspectives of the Brothers Grimm’s tale, the character of Snow White is expressed in another way by Lily Collins. Of course, Collins has the beauty of a traditional Disney Princess, which regarding this, helped her fit into the character. However, her performance was nothing short of bland. There was not any threatening animosity between Snow White and the Evil Queen and definitely no romantic or emotional bond between her and the Prince. In the role of the Prince, you could name a large number of actors who could fit into the role in almost every sense; looks, charm, age and sophistication. In the end, it was Armie Hammer (The Social Network, J. Edgar) who was cast as said Prince. Hammer, who can be a solid actor when selecting the right films, totally went out of proportion in Mirror Mirror. He seriously lacked roughly everything that the character required and at times, became an idiotic laughing stock under the influence of the Queen. Plus, what is with the love triangle relationship between the Queen, Snow White and The Prince?! It’s meant to be a re-telling of a classic story, not a soppy teen-comedy!


Now, Julia Roberts taking on the role as the Evil Queen was initially an interesting idea as we could have been in for a different Roberts on the screen. However, due to appearing in various romantic comedies and having still got that innocent look about her despite currently 45 years old, it was very unusual. Unfortunately, it became a rather daft decision to cast Roberts as the Evil Queen. Admittedly, she may have been dazzling eye-candy in the costume for a woman in her 40s, but she was simply too sweet looking and was nowhere near as evil or scheming as Charlize Theron in Snow White And The Huntsman. None of the actors were superb in Mirror Mirror but Nathan Lane was worthy enough as Brighton who added certain comedy traits from his career into this film. Finally, Sean Bean made a cameo appearance in a role simply known as the King.


Mirror Mirror may have had a much clearer and colourful Disney-esque tone to it and could have been on the same superior and fresh scale as Enchanted back in 2007. Unfortunately, director Tarsem Singh goes from re-telling a beautiful fairy tale into a film that, quite frankly, turned into a parody; not only of the story, but perhaps to Disney as well. Mirror Mirror is just a total chaos as certain set pieces are awkwardly joined together that simply did not mix, expressed laziness to the project and just kills the charm and cuteness of the film. If you either love the 1937 Disney classic or are an admirer of the play and are expecting Mirror Mirror to stick to its original sources, then you will be greatly disappointed.

Mirror Mirror has a serious identity crisis. What is it, exactly? A parody of the Snow White tale, a modern adaption of the story, a comedy, a drama, a typical triangle romance, etc. Mirror Mirror never truly nails a feel or even a genre, making it feel like a jumbled mess of ideas and thoughts that no one bothered to sort out to make it seem cohesive.

The (curiously un-named) Queen has selfishly ruled the (once again, un-named) kingdom as her own, though it is rightfully Snow White's. Making life miserable for everyone, The Queen issues heavy taxes and outrageous laws to make everything convenient for her. Snow White, however, wishes to do away with The Queen, and restore the kingdom back to the way it was when her late father was king. Through a crazy (and convenient) series of events, both The Queen and Snow White attempt to win the hand of Prince Alcott for their own goals and reasons (love, being rich, etc.).

The 7 Dwarves also get worked into this, but they've been given new names and personalities (or, lack of), and it's unlikely that anyone will ever label them as "cute."

This new take on the Snow White tale is so unlike the story we know and love, one wonders why the makers even bothered to make this a supposed "adaption" of the fairy tale. Many of the elements from the story, such as the poisonous apple, are so incredibly forced. The apple that I just mentioned doesn't appear until the very, very end, and it's apparent that it was only added to make the story similar to the Snow White tale.

Other liberties have been taken too, and the end result really doesn't feel like the Snow White tale at all.

At the very beginning of the film, it seems Mirror Mirror may be a mockery of the classic tale, but it quickly seems to be a modern revision of it. It gets many, many genre changes as the film goes by. It almost becomes a kind of game to see how many different varieties of films it's trying to be.

This genre confusion is somewhat disorienting at times. For the most part, Mirror Mirror feels like a comedy (though laughs are a little scarce), but some scenes are so absurdly serious for the kind of film it's generally presented as (though I suppose what exactly it IS presented as is anyone's guess) that at times, it feels more like a cheesy romance.

Still, the visuals do shine. While the costumes are often ridiculous (some unintentionally so), they can be quite stunning, if not always on purpose. Most of the special effects are good, the set pieces in general are quite attractive and colorful. The woods, however, in which a good portion of the film occurs, look very cheap. It's painfully obvious where the set meets the painted backgrounds.

The Queen is the only inspired part of the film, aside from the visuals, and even she isn't always entertaining. Some of her quips are amusing, while others aren't so much. There are many attempts at humor, and while some may evoke smiles (or laughter at it's higher points), much of the humor falls flat.

Actually, there is some jokes that are a little off color. At a glance, it's all innocent, but taken out of context, there are several gags that feel a bit risque. The Prince accidentally given "puppy love" magic and licks people's faces, the servant that turns into a cockroach later is said to have been "taken advantage of by a grasshopper," etc. It's gags like these that will indoubtedly raise the eyebrows of more than a few parents.

Julia Roberts does a over the top performance as The Queen, and ends up being the highlight of the movie. The other actors, however, don't fare quite as well. Lily Collins and Armie Hammer as Snow White and Prince Alcott respectively are often cheesy, or else wooden. The acting feels un-natural, and often clunky. Other cast members fare more or less the same. Nathan Lane as the bumbling Brighton performs a bit better, though his performance is by no means memorable.

The score, composed by Alan Menken, is actually one his better scores in the last several years. It's light and fun, though there are times when it doesn't seem to have much to do.

Mirror Mirror is perfect entertainment for younger children (if you don't mind a couple questionable jokes), but for adults and teens, Mirror Mirror has little to offer. Some laughs and pretty visuals won't compensate for clunky acting, genre clashes, and frequently flat humor. Mirror Mirror will probably be remembered as little more than trippy version of Snow White, or even more likely, won't be remembered at all.

This movie is utter, ridiculous, garbage. I can't believe I sat through another crappy movie, or that, yet again, some talented actors that I love allowed themselves to be in this piece of garbage that no one should be forced to watch. Shame on you, Julia Roberts and Nathan Lane, as well as everyone else who allowed themselves to be part of this ridiculously awful film. And, shockingly, the absolute worst part of this movie came at the very end with the song and dance number out of nowhere that went all Bollywood. Appalling.

"It's important to know when you've been beaten. Yes?"

I'll admit, when Tarsem Singh's Mirror Mirror received decent reviews from critics and audiences alike, my mind was blown. From the trailer, it looked like the silliest garbage ever made. I'd heard the film had witty writing, great acting, Oscar-worthy costumes, and truly beautiful visuals. Boy, why did I listen to these reviews? As you can probably tell already, I hated this film. I'm well aware that this isn't a film made for me - it's made for kids. It's supposed to be a fun, over-the-top family film; a total re-imagining of the classic fairytale of Snow White. Mirror Mirror is completely different from the other Snow White film released this year, Snow White and the Huntsman, with the latter being a superior film. I understand this film isn't for me, but there are so many better fairytale movies you could watch. Snow White and the Huntsman isn't a family movie, I'll admit that, but there's another Snow White adaptation that's perfect for the family - it's called Snow White and the Seven Dwarves!



The Evil Queen (Julia Roberts) has let her kingdom go to wrack and ruin after her husband the King, and Snow White's father disappeared many years ago. Now Snow White (Lily Collins) is becoming a beauty in her own right, a threat to the Queen's plan to marry the rich prince Alcott (Armie Hammer). Angered, the wicked woman orders Snow White to be killed. The Queen's servant Brighton (Nathan Lane) was supposed to murder the young princess in the dark woods but he let her go, and that's where she meets up with the seven dwarves.



Written by Melissa Wallack and Jason Keller, the screenplay plays itself on extremely cheesy humour for the entire running time. I respect the film for that - they stuck to their tone. Problem is, the writing isn't that great. I read in a review that the dialogue was smartly written - that's bullshit. The humour here doesn't come from the dialogue, which isn't witty in any way, but from the silly gags the film has going. Mirror Mirror features the most over-the-top moments that will entertain children, but will adults rolling their eyes. Let me give you a few examples - the prince is cast under a spell by the Queen to be act like puppy who is madly in love with her; Brighton is transformed into a cockroach; the Queen bathes herself in disgusting substances to make herself look prettier. I didn't find anything funny about these gags, but I will admit, I am guilty of chuckling a few times at the character of The Prince. There are moments of banter that are good fun between him and Snow White, and while their love story is cliché, it does give the film at least a bit of humour. Also giving a slight bit of joy to the film are the seven dwarves, although I didn't care for them in any way. They still have a mischievous attitude that adds to the humour.

The character of the Evil Queen is what really got under my skin and drove me nuts. She's just not funny in any way, and the writers seemed to have been pushing for her to be the leading comical force. Sadly, her dialogue is just lame, and I ended up cringing rather than laughing out loud. Also, she's not the most effective villain - in Snow White and the Huntsman, the evil queen was a dynamic force of villainy. In Mirror Mirror, she's a bimbo to put it lightly. You get the feeling that she's more bitchy and evil, and the way she lets her kingdom rot away doesn't register a lot to the audience. However, her servant Brighton has moments to shine. From time to time, he will bring amusement to the film. Another character who has been handled in a pretty poor way is the heroine Snow White. At one point in the film, she's supposed to become a leader and warrior for her kingdom - it's not fleshed out enough, and to be honest, the character is extremely insipid. There's no great deal of development, and the idea that she is the 'fairest of them all' doesn't resonate at all.



I feel bad for the actors due to the crap they had to perform. To their credit, each one of them managed to keep a straight face and appeared utterly shameless. Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen annoyed the hell out of me. Roberts dives straight into the role with gusto, but her performance just feels irritating, and the accent she speaks in may be the reason. Lily Collins is a pretty girl, and she certainly looks the part, but makes no attempt to bring anything unique to the role of Snow White. Armie Hammer, who has proven to be an amazing actor in The Social Network, manages to bring slight joy to the film, as he essentially fits the role of the prince. He was really well cast in this, and actually carried most of the scenes with him and Collins present. Also worth mentioning is Nathan Lane, who like Hammer, steals most of his scenes.

I really don't see the big deal with the costumes. Yes, they're amazingly out-there and suit the film's over-the-top tone, but they really didn't register as Oscar-worthy in my opinion. To be honest, they all looked incredibly cheap to me. Same goes with the sets, which all looked small and miniscule. This film looks a like TV-movie, and although Singh is well-known for his visual style, the look of the film isn't the most breathtaking I've seen in this kind of genre. However, cinematographer Brendan Galvin has framed most of his shots incredibly well, with precision and a sharp eye from Singh. The animated opening is impressive, and it was a nice way to introduce the characters we already know. When the film tries to be an action film, it fails dramatically. There are sequences of sword fights and acrobatic stunt-work, and while credit must be given to the performers, none of the action ever registered as exciting or suspenseful. The climax is actually a battle sequence with a monster. Yes, that's correct - Snow White and her companions fight a ridiculous looking monster (which looks incredibly fake), which ends up being dull and joyless. The final scene is a Bollywood musical number, and although I understand Singh is an Indian director, it literally had no place in the film.



Overall, Mirror Mirror is as cheesy, over-the-top, and 'cartoony' as any fairytale movie you could think of. Again, I understand that this film isn't made for guys like me, but there is a far better family movie based off the Snow White story - and I love it. Do yourself a favour and skip Mirror Mirror. If you're looking for a truly sensational re-imagining of the story, go see Snow White and the Huntsman. If you want a family friendly version of the tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves is worth a watch. Mirror Mirror is a film I simply can't recommend, even to little kids.

Sometimes a movie is just a familiar tale that we all know and love but with a twist. Mirror Mirror isn't going to change anyone's life. It isn't the next great classic. But it's good clean fun. It's beautiful. The costumes were perfect. The dwarves were funny. Snow White was both gorgeous and intelligent. The Queen was evil. The Prince was charming. There aren't really any surprises here. It doesn't take itself too seriously or try to be anything more than what it is; a fairy tale. But I teared up at the moving part and left with a smile on my face and sometimes that's all you want from a movie.