Mirror Mirror
Suck it, Disney!
I thought I would chime in on the "Snow White" controversy not to deride or insult but to instead offer an alternative which was actually pretty good (and, if you ask me, has Disney beat).
So I stumbled upon this film a few years ago long after its release and I was pleasantly surprised. Up until then, there wasn't much in the way of good (at least in my opinion) "Snow White" live action to be had so I wasn't really sure what to expect. It seemed to fly rather under the radar, but to be honest, those are sometimes the best.
The major plot points of the storyline are virtually the same. A young princess whose father has died (or so we think) and left her under the tyrannical and cruel control of her stepmother the Queen. She meets a handsome prince, falls in with the seven dwarves, and so on. One of the bigger differences with this version, however (spoiler alert), is that we find out that her father, the King, is not actually dead, only transformed by the Queen's spell.
For the casting, I have no complaints. With Julia Roberts as the Queen, Lily Collins as Snow White, and Armie Hammer as the impeccable Prince, it's a well rounded cast. Even Nathan Lane plays a role, something of which I'm always happy to see.
For the technicals, the music is complimentary but nothing spectacular. The sets and the costumes however are eccentric in a good way. It adds to the overall comedic edge to the film. The cinematography is well done, again, nothing too spectacular or memorable but it suits the film well.
For the writing, it's a quirky and creative rendition, full of witty humor, fun and whimsical. But, it's also endearing. It's imaginative, adding new elements to the story without bogging it down. My only complaint is that it feels a bit feministic with the Prince being somewhat of a bumbling idiot and Snow White taking on a more alpha-type role. Though, to be fair, when this was released, it wasn't a trope that I was all too annoyed with at the time. And it suits the feel of the film well. All in all, I think, a well made adaptation of a classic story.
Final Thoughts: If you are a diehard fan of the original story, the elements are all here, but they have made some changes which hardcore fans may or may not appreciate. I, for one, think it's worth a watch anyway. It's a fun film. It seems a good live action rendition already existed. Sorry, Disney, Relativity Media beat you to it this time.
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