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Rating:  - Strange, Beautiful, and Yet...
There are few comic book writers in the world that are more respected than master storyteller Neil Gaiman, whose combination of whimsical fantasy, dark satire, and comedic absurdism brought him to the forefront of the "British invasion" of comic books in the 1980s. Gaiman's collaborations with celebrated artist/writer, Dave McKean have resulted in some truly unique works, but perhaps their most ambitious collaborative effort is the hallucinatory fantasy film MirrorMask. MirrorMask was produced by The Jim Henson Company, who were responsible for some of the greatest fantasy films made in the `80s. Unlike those previous films, which were populated by quirky characters that were brought to life by puppets, MirrorMask was created using CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery). This heavy use of computer effects feels overwhelming much of the time and undermines the emotional impact of the film.
Helena, a teenaged girl, lives with her mother and father as part of a traveling circus. But Helena long for a normal life outside of juggling, people in costumes and makeup, and the pressures of performing in front of crowds of spectators. After an intense confrontation with her mother, Helena is shocked to discover that her mother has cancer and will need an emergency operation. Conflicted and full of guilt and regret, Helena falls into a troubled sleep where she is transported into a surrealistic nightmare world. In this nightmare world, Helena is mistaken for the daughter of the unforgiving Dark Queen, whose daughter is identical in appearance to Helena. The nightmare world is fragmented and unstable, and in order to restore balance Helena must find the magic MirrorMask and return to her own world where the Dark Queen's daughter has assumed her identity. Helena is aided, and at times hindered, by a host of otherworldly characters and creatures such as stone giants, sphinxes, a griffin, and monkeybirds. She also finds a companion in the roguish jester, Valentine. But can Helena save the dream world and return to her own? And will her mother be all right when she gets home?
While the film is stunningly original in its vision, the plot is typical of the fantasy genre, and is strongly reminiscent of both Through the Looking Glass and The Wizard of Oz. The visual style may remind some people of surrealist artists like Salvador Dali and expressionists like Edvard Munch, but for the most part the film looks like nothing you'll have ever seen before.
Although I greatly admire the filmmakers for their creative audacity, I must admit that I was disappointed with the execution of the story. I think this can be attributed to the fact that director David McKean had only ever directed short films and music videos, which left him ill prepared to tell a complex story on film. The narrative, which feels rushed, will probably be incomprehensible to younger viewers, who will probably be too freaked out by the weird atmosphere to care.
All in all, MirrorMask feels like an experiment that didn't go as planned. It's neither a masterpiece nor a disaster, but rather the first cinematic effort of a director who shows real potential. I hope if and when David McKean makes another film, that he will take more time to develop an emotional investment in characters, and that he'll be given a larger budget, and a better editor.
Also recommended:
The Dark Crystal / Labyrinth - Double Feature
The NeverEnding Story
Jim Henson's the Storyteller: The Definitive Collection
The Pagemaster
Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere
Spirited Away
MirrorMask: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
MirrorMask: The Illustrated Film Script of the Motion Picture by Neil Gaiman and David McKean
Rating:  - Stunning and memorable
When I heard about this I was kind of hesitant to watch it because I thought it was going to try too hard. Well... it doesn't. It well exceeded my expectations and was DRIPPING with creativity and imagination. This is a good escape for adults (kind of like the Wizard of Oz) but will also be great for kids as a modern-day fantasy flick instead of appealing to the 80's for imaginative movie making.
Rating: - I love this movie
Visually stunning. While the plot might seem a little strange to some people, anyone familiar with Gaiman won't be surprised. And like I said, visually, it's incredible. I love this movie.
Rating:  - A missed opportunity
Pros: Beautiful Visuals
Cons: There's not much else happening aside from that: the script/story is weak, the characters are uninteresting, and as a whole the movie feels flat and one dimensional.
The Bottom Line: Not worth buying.
When I first saw a teaser trailer for Mirrormask, I was stoked. The film itself looked amazing and had so much potential to be on par with some other great films in the fantasy genre. Given that I love fantasy-type stories (Pan's, Wizard of Oz & the sequel, LOTR, Princess Bride, and many others) I figured that this movie was definately for me. Then the actual trailer for the movie came out - which increased the excitement, as the movie looked as if it had a lot of depth to the story. So I managed to view the film, feeling that when it was over Mirrormask would probably be added to my list of well-done fantasy movies.
I could not have been more wrong. I really tried to like the film, believe me on that. I even sat through it twice to see if it would grow on me. That didn't work either.
I don't even know where to begin...
Well, the first thing that comes to mind is the lack of depth in the entire film. "Everybody wears a mask" is about as deep as the movie gets on a metaphorical level and there could have been so many other themes the film could have explored in depth. (Mother-daughter relationships, for one.) Then take into account that the world Helena is thrust into is just as flat. So many things could have been explored in that world - the different cultures and creatures inhabiting it, for example. Instead, everything is just rushed by to keep the plot moving. For example, when Helena is looking for the mask, there happens to be a mask shop around where she can ask questions - used mainly as a convenience to keep the plot moving. None of the information she obtains is helpful or interesting to the plot. Books can fly when Helena needs an escape, and so on. None of the events that happen to Helena have any sort of significance other than to keep the story progressing. Now, I'm not asking for a movie that offers a profound plot. I would just rather watch something that actually seems as if the director cared about the movie at all by actually fleshing out the world he has created somewhat.
Now, visually the movie is stunning. But everything else isn't. The director has focused on the CGI over the storyline. As a result the plot becomes loose. The events in the film, as mentioned, are just there to make the plot progress, which makes the whole story feel uninspired. When the director is creating a world, but has the characters rush by everything in it, unless it can be used as a plot device, the movie falls flat on its face.
When watching Mirromask, I honestly found myself bored by the constant one dimensionalism of the movie, which carried over to the progression of the film. The movie is so dull that the plot feels slow. Even the action sequences fall apart. I couldn't find myself caring what happened next in the movie because everything felt so uninspired. Moments of supposed tension don't give the viewer that feeling at all. There's a monotone atmosphere throughout the film that doesn't bode well with me.
That being said, the characters themselves are just as uninteresting as the plot. To be fair I must first say: Stephanie Leonidas and Gina McKee do attempt to add some depth to their roles. But, with a paper-thin story and script this is difficult. The characters in the film feel like just cliche characters thrown into it - Valentine is the random sidekick, Helena is the initially selfish heroine, the White Queen is good, the Dark Queen is bad, other creatures like the Sphinx cats are just there to antagonize our protaganist until their use has been exhausted. The giants are only in the story to give the key to Helena, etc. The list goes on and on. Character's motivations or reasons for doing anything is just for the plot and not to make the viewer interested in what is going on. Therefore, I didn't find myself caring that Helena was captured by the Dark Queen, that Valentine returned to save her, that the Stork creatures "arrested her", or any of the dialogue between all the characters in the movie. It didn't matter what happened because none of the characters were likeable.
After watching this, I also discovered that another problem is that the creativity well has dried up. I took the liberty of watching Labyrinth and the Dark Crystal after seeing this (made by the same company). Every single character in Mirromask, and sometimes events, is modelled after one of the past projects. Helena = Sarah, Valentine = Hoggle, Dark & Light must balance = Dark Crystal being healed, Queen's Spider Spies = Skeksis Spies, you get the idea. Now, I have no problem with a company re-using a couple of characters from past projects. But when the entire plot and characters within the story are re-used, it's just obvious that they've run out of ideas and want to make money with this movie.
There's no soul in Mirromask at all. At least in the previous two films, you could see the amount of depth they put into creating a new world and the story that went with it. But in Mirromask there is none. It's a real shame too as the film had potential. Unfortunately, all we get is pretty visuals and badly written story.
Recommended: No. I'd recommend watching something else if you're interested in a good fantasy film. There are plenty of titles out there that surpass this one. Don't waste your time or money on Mirromask. It's not worth it.
Rating: - Lush images, gorgeous music, and an enchanting story
A girl who's fondest desire is to run away from the circus falls into her own drawings as her mother lies dying. Wait, what? Helena performs in her parents' circus, but deals with the same issues as most teen girls. Her mum passes out in the middle of a performance and Helena's world turns, well, more topsy turvy than it already was. She had been drawing to escape from her extrodinary adolescent angst, and falls into the world that she had created. She meets exotic people and beasts as she explore her own drawings, then it gets weird.
The Dadaesque world of Helena's drawings is rich with the most powerful and complex imagery rendered, mostly, in black and white. It is visually overwhelming, with subtle and sublime symbols of good and evil.
Normally, soundtrack music doesn't blow wind up my kilt, but "Mirrormask" had a brilliant mixture of jazz, african style strains, and circus riffs that really caught my attention. It complimented the visuals and story perfectly.
I'll make the mandatory comparison to "Labyrinth" - after the basic theme of the angst of a teenage girl and the brilliance of execution, there is none. They're both incredibly well executed, but after that, their lives took different paths.
"Mirrormask" is a treasure of the cinematic arts and if there is any justice in the world and any sanity in academia, it will be held as a shining and exemplary study in how to get it right for centuries to come.
E.M. Van Court
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