Mirror MirrorMovie Reviews

So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 46 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
8 OK for kids 8+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 85
    Movieline | Stephanie Zacharek

    Mirror Mirror has a great deal of energy and wit and color, so much that it sometimes threatens to go right over the top. Somehow, though, it always stops short of being just too much. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Singh brings cheeky humor, an eccentric sensibility and an enchanting look to his re-imagined tale. Read full review

  • 70
    NPR |

    The performance that lingers after the film like a fizzy champagne buzz is Hammer's. He remains at all times deeply and persuasively sexy, but he also commits utterly to sequences that require a level of silliness that not all traditionally gorgeous young actors can give themselves over to so completely. Read full review

  • 63
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Mirror Mirror is a sumptuous fantasy for the eyes and a pinball game for the mind, as story elements collide and roll around bumping into each other. Read full review

  • 58
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    A dull and unbewitching movie. Read full review

  • 50
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    Cleverness won't carry it. Nothing less than overarching vision is required; otherwise, the audience will laugh for 10 minutes and then start to check out. And that pretty much states the problem of Mirror Mirror. Read full review

  • 50
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    Just a limp, jokey family film that wants to have its fairy tale magic and its hip irony, too. Read full review

  • 38
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    I've been told the movie plays best with very young girls. That's an insult very young girls should not be forced to endure. Read full review

  • 30
    The Hollywood Reporter |

    This is a movie drowning in flamboyant design elements and in need of a stiff shot of enchantment. Read full review

  • 20
    New York Daily News | Joe Neumaier

    "Dopey" is too good a word for it. Read full review

View more reviews for Mirror Mirror on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 8+ Visually appealing fairy tale lacks oomph but fine for kids.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that Mirror Mirror is a kid-friendly take on the Snow White fairy tale. Expect a few (bloodless) sword fights and some suggestive jokes that may go over kids' head (including references to a "May-December" romance and a quick reference to being "taken advantage of"). There's also a chaste kiss, a few longing looks, and a couple of dog-like licks on the queen's face while the prince is under a spell. In addition to the sword fights, the Mirror casts some malicious spells, and there are two killer, giant marionettes that try to destroy Snow White and the dwarfs. Unlike Disney's Snow White, Lily Collins' princess ends up learning how to stand up for herself and fights the queen's (Julia Roberts) evil beast alongside the prince.
  • Families can talk about how this take on Snow White compares to other versions of the beloved fairy tale. In what ways is this Snow White more assertive than other representations of her? How are the dwarfs a bigger part of the story?
  • What does Mirror Mirror have to say about vanity? What are the literal and figurative costs of the queen's vanity? Should it matter if you're the most beautiful person around?
  • Why are princess tales so popular? Does this spin on the princess story have a more progressive message for girls than previous versions?
The good stuff
  • educationalvalue true2 Educational value: This isn't an educational film, but there are some lessons in the importance of self confidence, tolerance, and generosity. The queen also teaches kids the dangers of greed and vanity.
  • message true3 Positive messages: Prominent messages about the importance of selflessness, kindness, and not basing your assessment of someone on their looks or height or wealth. The evil queen (who's clearly a villainess) is portrayed as power-hungry, uncaring, narcissistic, and uninterested in anyone but herself, while Snow's journey shows young girls that they need to stand up for themselves and what's right, even if it's a scary thing to do.
  • rolemodels true2 Positive role models: Snow White does eventually learn to stand up to the queen and fight for what's right, but she's a fairly passive character for most of the movie. The dwarfs are intelligent and skilled, but they've been forced to live in exile and steal from rich travelers. The prince is brave and confident, as princes tend to be in stories. On the other hand, the queen is unmitigatedly mean, resentful, and jealous.
What to watch for
  • violence false2 Violence and scariness: Some sword fighting (no one is seriously injured) and a sequence in which two giant marionettes try to kill Snow White and destroy the dwarfs' home. Toward the end of the movie, the queen unleashes her pet beast (a flying mythical creature) which nearly kills Snow and the prince. The king dies in the beginning of the movie, but it's not shown. Some threats.
  • sex false2 Sex: A few suggestive jokes. Half-Pint keeps flirting with Snow White, with whom he's clearly smitten. The queen makes several comments about how distractingly attractive the prince is, and Snow White and the prince share a kiss. In one scene, a bespelled prince licks the queen's face. The prince and Snow White have a sword fight in which he "spanks" her with his sword. The prince's shirt is stripped from him, and the queen reacts to his physique.
  • language false1 Language: The most commonly uttered insult is "idiot," with a "stupid" and some euphemisms for "short" thrown in aimed at the dwarfs.
  • consumerism false1 Consumerism: No product placements, but the movie does have tie-ins like a novelization and chapter book, apparel, and more.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false1 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some drinking by grown-ups at parties and receptions. A dwarf behaves in a drunken manner.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Mirror Mirror Featured Trailers + Video Clips

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Exclusive Features

BTS ‘Mirror Mirror’ Set Visit Julia Roberts, Lily Collins and Armie Hammer talk Snow White. Exclusive Cast Interviews Julia Roberts and Lily Collins talk about updating a classic fairy tale with humor while Armie Hammer talks about the challenges of comedy and find out what kind of pranks he and the actors who played dwarves played on one another.