Film Review: MIRROR MIRROR, starring Lily Collins, Julia Roberts & Armie Hammer

Here comes Hollywood’s latest fairy tale adaptation and one of two very different Snow White movies this year. Immortals director, Tarsem Singh, brings a new interpretation of Snow White’s story to the big screen. I must say that I was looking forward to this one. It looked campy, fun and just like a good time. That’s exactly how Mirror Mirror was. It actually plays out a little better than the trailer leads you to believe. Without a doubt, Mirror Mirror will definitely charm children and families alike.

We all know the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Most of us have seen the Disney animated film. Well, in this case, the Evil Queen (Julia Roberts) has practically imprisoned Snow White (Lily Collins) most of her life. On her 18^th birthday, Snow leaves the palace and sets out to the village. On the way, she encounters Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) and his servant, hanging upside down from a tree. She rescues them, and they part paths. When Snow arrives in the village, she sees how impoverished the Queen has let it become and swears that she will find a way to make things right. However, before she’s able to do anything, the Queen discovers Snow’s intentions and orders her servant (Nathan Lane) to kill Snow. The Queen’s servant has a last minute change of heart and lets Snow free into the woods, where she later encounters and befriends the dwarves, who will help her take back control of her kingdom.

Mirror Mirror is campy fun. It’s cute, delivers some funny moments, etc. But it really delivers is with its style. The movie is gorgeous. The director created such an imaginative fairy tale world. The costumes are extravagant and eye-popping. Half the fun is just seeing all this. As for the script, it’s the weakest part of the film. Some jokes are funny, but halfway through the film, it starts to drag. Sometimes the performances weren’t as energetic and lively as I hoped. Julia Roberts had great moments as the Queen. Lily Collins did a fine job with Snow White, but with a touch more of pizazz, she would have nailed it. The real highlights of the film were Armie Hammer and the dwarves. Armie Hammer is definitely swoon-worthy as the prince. He’s articulate and handsome, (and thank you for those shirtless scenes, Tarsem.) But really, his performance when he’s cursed with “puppy love” is probably the funniest part of the film. The dwarves served as mostly comic relief, and it’s hard not to enjoy any scene they are in.

Overall, I recommend Mirror Mirror to anyone who seems intrigued by it. It’s a great movie for kids. The action in it is pretty tame and definitely suitable for youngsters. Basically, if you love “camp,” you’ll love this movie.

Mirror Mirror hits theaters tomorrow, March 30^th.