"Mirror Mirror" Review: A cheeky adaptation of a classic tale
(CBS News) Interestingly enough, two starkly contrasting adaptations of the popular Grimm fairy tale "Snow White" are green- lighted for release this year.
First in line is Tarsem Singh's "Mirror, Mirror," which opened today. Starring Julia Roberts as an insecure evil queen and Nathan Lane as her thankless underling, this blithe, cheeky take on the classic fairy tale is pure harmless fun for the whole family.
The titular character is portrayed by Lily Collins (daughter of Phil Collins), while Armie Hammer is Prince Alcott with the prerequisite dashing good looks and chiseled jaw line.
Collins is picture perfect as a young, idealistic Snow White full of good virtue, but it really is Robert's film. She revels in playing the wicked, but obviously bored-out-of-her-mind, queen, obsessed with remaining youthful and more beautiful than her stepdaughter Snow.
It's when Snow's father disappears that the fun really begins. Robert's character sets her sights on marrying Alcott and taking him for all he is worth. While the wooing is in full swing at the palace, Snow makes a run for it, bent on a Robin Hood-style operation to make sure taxes are given back to the poor.
Along the way, she enlists the help of a bunch of dwarves - seven, to be precise - who reside in the forest and are anything but warm and fuzzy, although one does develop a thing for Snow. Slapstick humor ensues, as Snow and Alcott's star-crossed relationship unfolds, but it's Roberts and Hammer who really make the spark fly with their off-the-wall humor.
Apart from the character it is based upon, Singh's lighthearted fantasy adventure has absolutely nothing in common with its darker counterpart.
"Snow White and the Huntsman" is set to make its way to the big screen later this summer. Kristen Stewart of "Twilight" fame will star as a brave and fierce Snow White, the likes of which we haven't seen before in director Rupert Sanders debut feature film.
Charlize Theron is the black-hearted queen and Chris Hemsworth is the huntsman in a film that promises to be the complete antithesis of the PG-13 rated "Mirror, Mirror."