Starring Lily Collins, Julia Roberts
Directed by Tarsem Singh
2/5 Hammers
Director Tarsem Singh trades severed limbs and battling titans (Immortals) for magic potions and fighting little people in Mirror Mirror, an eye-catching adaptation of the classic Snow White tale with not much else going for it.
Lily Collins, daughter of musician Phil and best known for The Blind Side, brings the fairytale character to life.The 23-year-old adds a refreshing feistiness to the familiar role as she swashbuckles opposite Armie Hammers Prince Alcott, who displays an amusingly animated and often goofy sense of dashing charm. Even Snow Whites pint-sized band of rebels is fun to watch as they trade one-liners that will have the adults chuckling. However, its Julia Roberts, dreadfully miscast as The Queen, who nearly ruins the whole experience.The veteran actress miserably fails to crack jokes while possessing any semblance of evil and her whole performance is so forced its embarrassing to watch.
Some credit should be given to the films technical department. The lavish and sometimes bizarre costumes and fanciful set design are pleasing to the eye, yet even some visual treats cannot hide the fact the movie is propped up by a weak story and unsatisfying climax.
is inoffensive and will delight children but with such a rich look its a shame more attention wasnt paid to the substance. With another Snow White flick on the way in June, money might be better spent on the edgier Snow White and the Huntsman as this one fails to hit the mark.
