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MirrorMask

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MirrorMask (2005)

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Reviews Counted: 85

Fresh: 45

Rotten:40

Average Rating: 5.8/10

Consensus: While visually dazzling, there isn't enough story to hang all the fancy effects on.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some mild thematic elements and scary images

Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Theatrical Release:Sep 30, 2005 Limited

Box Office: $802,961

Synopsis: Reminiscent of ALICE IN WONDERLAND and LABYRINTH, MIRRORMASK is a fantasy tale of an intelligent young girl on a journey through a magical world. It is also a visually astounding piece of... Reminiscent of ALICE IN WONDERLAND and LABYRINTH, MIRRORMASK is a fantasy tale of an intelligent young girl on a journey through a magical world. It is also a visually astounding piece of filmmaking, updating the fairy-tale quest in a coming-of-age story imbued with dark beauty. Written by Neil Gaiman (SANDMAN) and directed by frequent collaborator and illustrator Dave McKean, the film mixes live action and animation, and manages to keep the graphic novelists' aesthetic largely intact: the frames are full of weirdly-skewed perspectives, foggy patches, and mismatched textures that appear grandly decayed. Stephanie Leonidas plays Helena, a young girl who juggles in her father's circus, but longs for a "normal" life. She spends her free time drawing elaborate, fantastical black-and-white pictures which cover every surface of her bedroom. One night, after an argument with her mother (Gina McKee) during which Helena lets fly some rather painful pronouncements, Mom falls ill with an unspecified affliction. As the family waits for news and the circus struggles financially, Helena blames herself for the misfortune. The night before her mother's surgery, Helena is mysteriously transported to a world which bears a strong resemblance to her own drawings, and is populated by strange creatures who follow an even stranger logic. Helena and her traveling companion, fellow juggler Valentine (Jason Barry), sign on to find a mysterious charm which will wake the queen of the city--also played by McKee--from her deep sleep, defeating the forces of darkness and returning Helena home. The film's outstanding art direction is complemented by witty dialogue and some genuinely creepy moments (the words "don't let them see you're afraid" are chill-inducing). Meanwhile, Leonidas's performance is remarkable, maintaining a likeability, charm, and freshness that is all the more amazing considering it was delivered against a green screen, with her special-effect co-stars edited in later. [More]

Starring: Stephanie Leonidas, Dora Bryan, Gina McKee, Rob Brydon

Starring: Stephanie Leonidas, Dora Bryan, Gina McKee, Rob Brydon, Andy Hamilton, Jason Barry, Robert Llewellyn

Director: Dave McKean

Director: Dave McKean
Screenwriter: Neil Gaiman
Producer: Lisa Henson, Michael Polis, Simon Moorhead
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films

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Release:

Nov 18, 2008

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • The White Queen sleeps and will not wake. Black shadows have fallen across her kingdom. The balance between Dark and Light is broken and only the MIRRORMASK can restore it. So Helena, a stranger in a strange land, embarks on an epic quest to find the missing charm before darkness envelops the Dreamworld forever. Written by award-winning fantasy writer Neil Gaiman, MIRRORMASK is a phantasmagorical treat for the eyes and mind, a wondrous blend of live action and CG animation, where strange, magical creatures dwell in a fantasy world of unbridled imagination and scope, as told through the spectacular, cutting-edge visuals of designer/director Dave McKean.
  • Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
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    Reviews for MirrorMask

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    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
    04/29/09
    Felix Vasquez Jr.
    Cinema Crazed

    The story is interesting, in a twisted fairytale sort of way, but the novelty of this dream world does eventually wear off, and we're left checking our watches.

    Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
    01/05/09
    Brian Webster
    Apollo Guide

    MirrorMask proves that a movie can be brilliant and awful at the same time.

    Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
    07/18/08
    Rob Gonsalves
    eFilmCritic.com
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
    08/16/07
    Dave Calhoun
    Time Out New York
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
    07/01/06
    Sydney Morning Herald
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    06/24/06
    Time Out

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
    05/12/06
    Jim Lane
    Sacramento News & Review

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    04/01/06
    Empire Magazine
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
    03/11/06
    BBC

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
    03/11/06
    Simon Guerrier
    FilmFocus
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
    03/04/06
    Peter Bradshaw
    Guardian [UK]

    This one-of-a-kind fantasy film may be seen as a classic someday, possibly quite soon.

    Full Review Source: MTV | comment Comment
    02/07/06
    Kurt Loder
    MTV

    ...one of those movies that might be improved immensely by the consumption of certain mood-altering substances.

    Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
    12/12/05
    Philip Martin
    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: NYC Film Critic | comment Comment
    12/06/05
    Ethan Alter
    NYC Film Critic

    What a disappointment! The greatest fantasy novels and films are products of the unconscious - they have the authority of visions, glimpsed though imperfectly understood. But the creators of MirrorMask remain all too wide awake.

    Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
    12/05/05
    Urban Cinefile Critics
    Urban Cinefile

    A wonder of imaginative design and a failure of imaginative storytelling; after 101 minutes of this, you feel like a starving man being taunted with a Faberge egg.

    Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
    11/07/05
    John Beifuss
    Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

    “MirrorMask” may prove fascinating for fans of McKean and Gaiman, but I was left chilled and irritated.

    Full Review Source: Sympatico.ca | comment Comment
    11/07/05
    Angela Baldassarre
    Sympatico.ca

    [Director Dave] McKean's pacing is abominable but, more importantly, he doesn't spend enough time building his characters.

    Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
    11/04/05
    Forrest Hartman
    Reno Gazette-Journal

    An impressive sheen on some familiar themes.

    Full Review Source: Las Vegas Weekly | comment Comment
    11/03/05
    Josh Bell
    Las Vegas Weekly

    Could be Exhibit A for anyone arguing the case that modern filmmaking lacks a strong sense of story.

    Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
    10/28/05
    Peter Howell
    Toronto Star
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
     
     
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    Latest News for MirrorMask

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