MIRROR MIRROR

2012, Relativity Media

Live action

Rating: PG

Approx. 105 mins.

THE STORY:

In this retelling of the classic, Snow White (Lilly Collins) is a beautiful princess whose evil stepmother, the queen (Julia Roberts), has made her a virtual prisoner in the palace. When she manages to sneak out, she not only runs into a handsome prince (Armie Hammer), but discovers that the kingdom of which she is the rightful heir is in a state of desperation. The queen has excessively taxed the citizenry to finance her lavish lifestyle, and banished the "ugly".

When the queen realizes Snow White is a threat, she orders her trusty servant (Nathan Lane) to arrange Snow White's death. He spares her life and she ends up in the home of 7 robber dwarfs, who train her to be their accomplice. And it is in this role that she again runs into the prince, whom she fights and bests.

The queen, however, sees in the prince a cash cow to save the kingdom from bankruptcy. She plans to marry him and uses a magic potion to endear him to her. She then discovers that Snow White is alive and sends giant puppets to kill her. In the end, however, right triumphs: the wedding is cancelled, the queen is defeated by her own evil, the king returns and Snow White marries her prince. 
  

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• stupid
• idiot

VIOLENCE:

• shut up
• stupid

TEACHING POINTS:

• look for the grey before assuming there is only black and white 

THE UPSHOT:

Visually this movie is a feast. It's like Dangerous Liaisons meets Crouching Tiger meets the Brothers Grimm. The acting is good, the script is smart and the messaging is positive. The grown up in the room liked the way this version delved into the context and filled out the story in a very contemporary way, all the while showing how strong women can be. The 5 year-old in the room liked the action and the princess element.

This is definitely worth a watch, but older kids will get more out of it.  

3.5/5