MirrorMask

"MirrorMask" is very creative visually and there are a lot of good ideas. I can’t help but feel like there’s something missing though. Helena (Stephanie Leonidas) is a young girl who is growing to be tired of her family’s life as circus performers. After an argument, Helena finds herself transported to a parallel fantasy world while that world’s princess has taken Helena’s place. In order to prevent her evil twin from destroying her reputation and her relationship with her family, Helena must find a way to escape.

Conceptually and visually the film is very creative. It has a zoo’s fill of odd creatures which include a very interesting take on Greek sphinxes and we also find giants, strange black birds and several unnamed monsters that have their own unique look to them that works despite the film’s limited visuals. I also enjoyed the film’s exclusive set of rules which keep the plot from feeling like another “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” clone. It's set in a world where almost everyone wears a mask and it seems like almost anything can be sentient, even books. These mean that you'll always be interested in seeing what will come up next. In that sense it's a very different kind of fantasy, similar in concept to the idea to the previously mentioned Lewis Carroll books, but still distinct.

When I say that there’s something missing here I’m referring exclusively to the story. A driving force of the plot is that the world Helena finds herself in is about to be destroyed if our heroine doesn't find the MirrorMask, but there are never any scenes where we feel that urgency. With the abundance of visual effects it's a big missed opportunity. There are other scenes too where Stephanie Leonidas' reactions are a bit too low-key to convey what is going on. I know if I saw my evil counterpart making out with a punk I’d react pretty strongly, particularly when I realized that it’s just one hint of the damage that’s being done to the image my parents have of me. I get the feeling that the script desperately wants to convey that what is going on with the rebellious Princess is shocking and infuriating for her, but that scene is over very quickly and Helena's reaction is underwhelming.

Despite the flaws in terms of the story and plot, “MirrorMask” is a very inventive film. Will you remember the story? Hard to say. Will you find the visuals ingrained in your head though? Definitely. It has a distinct look and feel that makes the film worth seeing."MirrorMask" has some serious flaws but they aren't enough to make the movie a complete disaster and if you're a fan of Neil Gaiman you'll be happy to recognize his ever-present style. (On Dvd, February 11, 2013)