Review of Mirror Mirror (2012) by Grant F — 16 Jun 2013

I'm not sure what prompted both TV and movie makers to assault us with so many reinterpretations of fairy tales in recent years. This particular one is based on the classic Snow White tale. The setup is pulled off well, and had me intrigued. They pitch this film as unique by making us believe we will be treated to the familiar tale from the unlikely perspective of the evil queen. Putting the queen at the forefront would certainly be a new twist. Unfortunately, within less than half an hour of film it becomes clear that Snow White is the true star, and the evil queen will serve as nothing more than a foil for the heroes. The director clearly seemed intent on maintaining the premise set up at the beginning by inserting scenes with the queen whenever the story has strayed from her too long, but sadly these scenes are frequently pointless filler that could easily be edited out.

Now, the script isn't the fault of the actors, and Julia Roberts does her level best to draw attention whenever she is on the screen. She is deliciously wicked, and yet comical in her delivery. You couldn't ask her to do much more to take on the mantle of leading lady. The prince is excellent because, despite the fact that he is humiliated multiple times, you still find him heroic and valiant at the end. Lily Collins is also ideally suited to her role. She makes a convincing transition from innocent to aggressive as the story progresses. Part of the success of this transformation is because of the entertaining cast of dwarfs. They play well with Snow White, and are given new personalities as opposed to the classic Disney characterizations. Overall the cast is probably the brightest spot in this movie.

In fact there were several moments that had me laughing as well, and I certainly wasn't bored by the film. The sad truth is that one simple thing may have sunk this film, and that is the story. All these beautiful sets, excellent actors, and great CGI could have been brilliant if applied to a new plot. However, since they just did a "new twist" on an old tale, it gave the whole thing a same-old-same-old feeling. In fact by the end I had already predicted the conclusion, and was merely waiting to see my accurate prediction unfold. So, while I enjoyed the movie, I doubt I would watch it again. It's decent fun, but I don't believe it is even in the top 5 in interpretations of this fairy tale.