NEW Roberts/hammer/collins - Mirror Mirror (Blu-ray)

I went to this movie with my sisters for a 'girls night' and it was perfect for that. It was a fun movie and i definitely want see it again.
Al thought it is not a word for word retelling of the original it does have all the right ingredients: a princess, a prince, an evil queen, dwarfs, a poison apple and a magic kiss. (even if they aren't quite present in the way you would expect) This movie is totally family friendly although there is a monster that my scare young children and some parents may be offended by some of the queens action, it is a very clean movie. There is no swearing whatsoever, save one "For the love of God" and names like jerk and idiot. The violence to me was not that bad, i happen to like action movies so for the most part the fighting was tame and at sometimes lame, although perhaps that made it more realistic.
I'm not going to go into detail about the story line because it has so many surprises that I might accidentally reveal one. In fact I would recommend not reading reviews with in depth story lines unless you don't like surprises. There are some cool twists some of which I, unfortunately, knew beforehand because I glanced at a in depth review. My sisters had not read the review and so were more surprised(although they did say it was hard to follow at the beginning something I did not find perhaps because I read reviews)
I really enjoyed the movie and felt it deserved a review. I hope that this was helpful.

VIDEO:

Mirror Mirror arrives at blu ray with MPEG-4 AVC 1080p 1.85:1 encode. This spectacular transfer features very impressive cinematography and production design. The image has a sharp, pristine quality, revealing all of the intricate details and fine textures in the lavish costumes and sets. Vibrant yellows and reds pop from the screen. Certain sequences, like the Queen's wedding, saturate the screen with vivid colours. Contrasts are high. Blacks are inky. The image carries a great sense of depth and pop, and the sumptuous production design dazzles. (4.5/5)

AUDIO:

The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track is very well done. Spacious and enveloping, the sound design transports the audience into a convincing fairy tale world. Dialogue is clear and full-bodied throughout. The soundfield is wide and immersive. Surrounds offer effective ambiance, bringing the film's forests, castles and towns to life. Effects work is precise and distinct, carrying crisp fidelity with every clanking sword and galloping horse. (4.5/5)

PACKAGING:

The front cover of the package consists of lenticular images alternating between Julia Roberts and Lily Collins. Quite cute! Besides the discs, there is a tiny limited edition colouring book for the kids.

TRIVIA:

Did you know that Mirror Mirror was filmed in Montreal, Quebec?

Mirror Mirror has an estimated budget of $85 million, but only grossed $161 million worldwide. This is considered a flop in the movie industry.

The original script included a scene between a shirtless Prince (Armie Hammer) and the Queen (Julia Roberts) in which the Queen remarks how smooth his chest is. This line had to be altered when Hammer refused to shave the hair off his chest for the scene.

Lily Collins admitted in an interview that she originally auditioned for the role of Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman, losing to Kristen Stewart.

Sam Claflin auditioned for the role of The Prince but lost to Armie Hammer. Coincidentally, he was later cast in the rival Snow White project, Snow White and the Huntsman as Prince Charming.

This is Julia Roberts' second film playing an iconic fairy tale role; two decades earlier, she played Tinkerbell in Hook.

This is the first adaptation of The Brothers Grimm: Snow White where both the characters - Snow White (Lily Collins) and the Evil Queen (Julia Roberts) - have a romantic relationship with the Prince (Armie Hammer).

When the queen is getting her beauty treatment, she gets the brown faeces of lovebirds put on her face. Lovebird's feces are light green to white, not brown in colour.

THE FILM:

Miror Mirror is the second out of three releases (and first big screen release) in this year's Snow White-a-rama movie battle. The first one was direct-to-video's Grimm's Snow White in March 2012. The third of course was Snow White and the Huntsmen, with the highest box office returns.

STORYLINE:

After a beloved King (Sean Bean) vanishes, his ruthless wife (Julia Roberts) seizes control of the kingdom and keeps her beautiful 18-year-old stepdaughter, Snow White (Lily Collins), hidden away in the palace. But when the princess attracts the attention of a charming and wealthy visiting Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer), the jealous Queen banishes the girl to a nearby forest. Taken in by a band of rebellious but kindhearted dwarfs, Snow White blossoms into a brave young woman determined to save her country from the Queen. With the support of her new friends, she roars into action to reclaim her birthright and win back her Prince in this magical adventure comedy that will capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences the world over.

There are a few differences between Grimm's Snow White vs Disney's Snow White. In this movie:

1) Both the Evil Queen and Snow White are in love with the Prince.
2) It is Snow White's (first) kiss to the Prince that woke him up from his spell.
3) Snow White did not eat the apple.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Out of the three Snow-White-rama releases this year, Mirror Mirror is the more lighthearted romp. Lily Collins' makes a lovely Snow White and cute Armie Hammer is a charming prince. I like Charlize Theron's evil queen better but Julia Roberts does her humorous take on the character very well. This movie is directed towards the kids and the young at heart. Both video and audio are top-notched. The movie is quite enjoyable, and is highly recommended.

I hope the above review is helpful to you.

Julia Roberts.......what a woman!
Not her best movie ever but......wow!

Julia Roberts...quelle femme!
Bonne actrice talentueuse.
Ce n'est pas son meilleur film mais elle le joue parfaitement. Brabo!