Mirror Mirror (Blu-ray Review)
Ah, the year of two Snow White films, the other being Snow White and The Huntsman, this one being an actual light hearted attempt at the material. Not only does it feature Julia Roberts as the evil queen, but it’s directed by none other than the master visualist, Tarsem of The Cell, The Fall, and Immortals fame. If anything, the film could suck hard, but it would be a beautiful looking failure. Most were quick to dismiss it after the first trailers hit the interwebs due to them having seen a much darker telling in the previously mentioned Huntsman film. How will Mirror Mirror do in comparison? You’ve got questions, I’ve got answers.
Film 
Mirror Mirror is millionth telling and re-telling of the famous Grimm Brother story, but has none of that tone. Snow White (Lily Collins) has been imprisoned in her own castle after her evil Queen stepmother (Julia Roberts) has taken over the kingdom due to the king’s mysterious absence. Snow White can only stay out of sight for so long, but when she catches the eye of a potential Prince suitor that The Queen had eyes on named Alcott, The Queen banishes Snow White to a nearby forest.
Here, she is befriended by mysterious group of “rebels” who we’ll call dwarfs and is trained in the fine art of survival and swordplay. As The Queen takes a stranglehold of the nearby towns and villages, collecting higher taxes to indulge her various whims, Snow White plans on taking back her kingdom before her stepmother ruins it all. Oh, and she also fancies the Prince, so she’ll try to get him back, as well.
Seriously, when the promotional materials were released, EVERYONE I knew said the film looked horrible, but that was due to them having seen the much more dark and action packed footage of that other Snow White film. Mirror Mirror was being marketed as a silly comedy with Julia Roberts chewing up the scenery. Make no mistake, she DOES chew it up, but she’s actually pretty damn funny in her role as the evil Queen. She made me laugh and hate her all at the same time.
Lily Collins was also pretty cool in her role as Snow White, who starts out as a timid, inexperienced young girl, who will learn the ways of the world and become a strong woman in the end. The supporting cast of characters like Nathan Lane as the Queen’s right hand man was funny, and Armie Hammer as Prince Alcott was charming. The dwarfs were the surprise treat in the film as much of their humor was a bit harder edged laced with self deprecation, but did garner some big laughs from. The trailer had made it seem that their appearance would be laced with slapstick. It was not.
Tarsem, along with his long-time collaborator, the legendary costume designer Eiko Ishioka (her last work), have crafted a fun and jovial atmosphere in Mirror Mirror. The film literally looks like a painting come to life more than anything else, and during certain scenes, I was waiting for all of the inhabitants of this world to just morph into their animal spirits due to their costumes having animal flourishes. It was very neat.
How does Mirror Mirror compare to Snow White and The Huntsman? I don’t know. I haven’t seen that film yet, but you can read what our writers thought of it HERE and HERE. I do recommend Mirror Mirror wholeheartedly and think that if you’re in the right frame of mind, you’ll enjoy it lots. I certainly did.
Video
Mirror Mirror is presented in 1080p, 1.85:1 widescreen. Mirror Mirror is a film, that like ALL of Tarsem’s work, lends itself to the high definition format that is Blu-ray. The visual are a sumptuous feast for the eyes and this transfer does the man’s work justice. Since this is a stylistic take on the source material, there is a constant layer of softness all the way through the film. It’s not intrusive, but it’s there. Grain levels do exist, but it’s not an overly grainy presentation. Softness also does not mean that the print has DNR caked on top of it either. Flesh tones do look clean and dirt free, with exception to the dwarfs who tend to be on the dirty and rough side. Edge enhancement is absent, and contrast levels are boosted only slightly.
Audio
Mirror Mirror is presented in DTS-HD MA 5.1. The film shines during the more “action” driven scenes, which there are several, but it quickly quiets down during the non-action scenes. Dialogue is front and centered, and clearly audible without any hint of distortion or echo. During the latter scenes of peril, the rear surround tracks do their thing and capture the dread quite nicely. The LFE channel also gets a nice push.
Extras
Mirror Mirror comes packed with a few deleted scenes, and several featurettes, which are part of the same program split into sections that run only a few minutes long. They’re fun, though. I wish there was more special features, but oh well.
- Deleted Scenes
- Looking Through the Mirror
- I Believe I Can Dance
- Mirror Mirror Storybook
- Prince and Puppets
Summary 
Color me shocked, but I really enjoyed Mirror Mirror. No, the film isn’t as jovial or happy as the trailers made it out to be. In fact, I wouldn’t even recommend it for younger viewers due to several scenes that may be too intense for them. Even the subject matter on display lends itself to an older audience, which I appreciated. The video and audio specifications are above average, but the supplements, or lack thereof, will bring the overall score down a bit. Tarsem has come through once again with grand visuals, and the late-great Eiko Ishioka has left us, but will always remain at the top of the costume world. Cheers to you, Eiko.
Order Mirror Mirror on Blu-ray!
Wow!