I first heard about "MirrorMask" early during its production, and I was really looking forward to seeing it. The director was Dave McKean, and it was written by Neil Gaiman, with the basic story being a collaboration between the two of them. If you've never heard of Neil Gaiman or Dave McKean, you're missing out. Neil Gaiman wrote the novels "Anansi Boys," "American Gods," "Neverwhere," "Stardust," and "Good Omens" (which he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett), but what he's best known for is "Sandman," an award-winning comic book series he wrote. He also wrote a couple of popular spin-offs from that comic featuring the popular character "Death." As for Dave McKean, he did the art for one of the best "Batman" graphic novels ever, "Arkham Asylum," which was written by Grant Morrison. Prior to this film, Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean had worked together before on various books and graphic novels, such as "Coraline," "The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish," "The Wolves in the Walls," "Violent Cases," "Mr. Punch," "Signal to Noise," and others. Dave McKean also did the artwork for the covers on all of the "Sandman" comics that Neil Gaiman wrote.
Those of you who are frequent readers of this web site know that I'm a huge comic book geek. Well, given the comic book history of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, I was really curious to see what they would do with a movie. Well, it's with great sadness that I tell you that "MirrorMask" is a huge disappointment. It looks very cool, visually it's astonishing, but the story is weak. The images on the screen make the movie interesting to look at, but the story is boring, so I can't say that I really liked it. I hate saying it, but it's true.
Some have compared "MirrorMask" to "Labyrinth," and it's not hard to see why. Ddespite there being a few similarities, though, the stories really are quite different. That being said, the two films are somewhat related because "Labyrinth" was directed by Jim Henson (and he also helped write the script), and one of the companies that helped make "MirrorMask" was Jim Henson Productions.
Blah. I really wish I liked this movie more.
I'm not very familiar with the cast of the film. The main girl is named Stephanie Leonidas, and I've never seen her before. She's kinda hot, though. She looks sorta like a cross between Nicole Richie and Helena Bonham Carter, which might sound weird, but that's what I was thinking while watching her in the movie. The cast also includes Rob Brydon, Jason Barry, and the only one in the movie I recognized even a little bit, Gina McKee (she played the woman in the wheelchair in "Notting Hill"). They're all really good, but the acting isn't the problem.
Actually, even though it seems like I'm totally ripping into "MirrorMask," I don't think it's a horrible movie. I liked some parts, and the wacky visuals really are awesome. I'll probably watch it again on DVD, and it's possible I'll have a greater appreciation for it after seeing it a second time. Right now, though, I have to say I was disappointed.
I'd like to see more film work from Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. Sure, "MirrorMask" isn't as good as I thought it would be, but those guys are so amazingly talented, I refuse to give up on them. Assuming they get to make a second film, I'll definitely see it. Their first one is a pretty big letdown, though.
Scale of 1-10: 4