Mirror Mirror: "Every Person Has Magic In Them, They Just Don't Know They Possess It"

Director: Tarsem Singh
Writer:    Mark Klein
               Jason Keller
               Melissa Wallack
Starring: Lily Collins
               Julia Roberts
               Nathan Lane
               Armie Hammer
               Sean Bean
Rating:    ****

Release Date: Out Now 

It's no secret that later this year another Snow White is being released, starring Twilight's Kristen Stewart, in what looks like a much darker look at the famous tale. But before that cinematic treat British-born actress Lily Collins (daughter of Musician Phil Collins) takes on the famous role, in this sweet and sassy version of the fairytale which is more obviously aimed at all the family.

Collins brings the perfect amount of charm and innocence to the role, quite rightly, and shows no trace of irony whether she's chatting to the birds or answering cruel questions from her wicked stepmother The Queen (Roberts). It's that untouchable and strong spirit that sets Snow White apart, luckily though, the writers bring out her sweetness with a wonderfully goofy sense of humour, stopping her from becoming obnoxious.

Thankfully, Snow White is perfectly complimented by the wonderful Prince Alcott (Hammer), a suave and arrogant prince who is fairly clumsy and just looking for that special someone.It kind of gives us a glimpse of what he may be delivering in his the film The Lone Ranger, also starring Johnny Depp, and thanks to his funny and sweet performance his character is fun to watch. Plus the chemistry between Collins and Hammer is absolutely spot on.

At its best, the film is a battle between Hammer, Lane and Roberts to see who can get the most laughs. The Pretty Woman and Larry Crowne star really hams it up and revels in playing the wicked Queen like a bored housewife of New Jersey, obsessed with maintaining her beauty and youth, whether it's by smearing herself with bird poo or indulging in black magic via an enchanted mirror. She is determined to outshine her stepdaughter Snow, even if it means killing her.

Seeing as Snow's father, the King, has gone mysteriously missing, the lonely and bitter Queen aims to marry Alcott to fill his shoes and her loneliness. His fine physique are merely a bonus and the writers definitely take advantage of this, making a running joke of having him repeatedly mobbed and stripped by an antisocial gang of seven dwarves who live in the forest. When Snow White finally escapes the castle and flees to the forest, it's these aggressive bandits that take her in and train her up to defeat he queen.

The Prince and Snow White go head-to-head in one scene and that sets the tone for their developing romance. The find themselves in a well choreographed sword fight, and as Alcott falls in love at first sight he soon falls foul of one of her stick-ups and she shows him who's boss. The two don't share much screen time because the Queen vies for his attention throughout the film, but luckily Hammer and Roberts generate more than enough sparks, at least in comedy terms. 

Nathan Lane is probably the funniest actor in the film as the Queen's chief footman and, among the dwarves, Mark Povinelli raises a smile with his not-so secret crush on Snow. The visuals are actually pretty impressive, with the trailer making it look like a cheap Tim Burton knock off, but realistically it was nothing like that. It keeps a bright storybook feel throughout, a big contrast to the forth-coming and much darker Snow White and the Huntsman. It's a fun family movie, filled with comedy for all ages, plenty that is easy on the eyes (from the cast to the visuals) and plenty of action and high jinks to keep all ages entertained.

Mirror Mirror - Trailer