Review of MirrorMask (2005) by Wade G — 31 Jul 2008

You'll notice to the left that the much acclaimed stroyteller, Dave McKean, is listed as the director of MirrorMask. In his comics, such as Mr. Punch and Batman: Arkham Asylum, McKean transcenfds the original boundaries of comic book art and creates some of the most beautiful and thought-provoking art in the industry and it translates phenomenally well on his first film.

Every monster, building, and character is imaginative to the point where you are completely immersed in the world of MirrorMask. However, those of you who know the background of the film also film also remember that fantasy "legend", Neil Gaiman, wrote the story and the movie features some of England's highest-rated actors and actresses.

Unfortunately, none of them matter. Neil, who seems to be stealing the stealing the spotlight for this movie yet again, has created a truly sub-par script that is dull and nearly non-existent. The performers are also rather drab and it's pretty easy to tell they're using a blue-screen since almost none of their acting seems believable, besides a few exceptions.

These flawed elements hardly drag down the film as it's most a family film and is intended to be understandable by children and adults. That said, while the kids will enjoy the adventure itself, the absolutely incredible design by Dave McKean & crew makes Mirrormask superbly enjoyable and worthy of multiple watches even when the kids are asleep.