Mirrormask

Theatrical Release Date: 2005 09 30 (USA - Limited)

UPC: 043396128514

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Mild Violence, Adult Situations, Watch With Your Kids]

Summary: Celebrated sci-fi writer Neil Gaiman, who created the Sandman series, scripted this visually adventurous fantasy. Helena (Stephanie Leonidas) is a 15-year-old girl who has spent nearly her entire life on the road, traveling with her parents Joanne and Morris (Gina McKee and Rob Brydon), who make a living as circus performers. One night, Helena wishes for a quieter and more stable life, only to panic when her mother falls seriously ill, ending up in the hospital. Afraid she's caused her mother's illness, Helena slips into an alternate reality known as the Dark Lands, where nearly everything behaves differently and all is ruled by the Queen of Light and the Prime Minister (also played by McKee and Brydon). As it happens, the Queen of Shadows' daughter, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Helena, has gone missing; the Queen of Light has fallen unconscious as a result; and both queens' minders are looking for the child. As Helena struggles to make her way back to her own world to help her own mother, she discovers the Queen of Shadows' daughter has taken her place. Helena is aided in her journey by a gifted juggler named Valentine (Jason Barry), and together they seek to access a magic charm which will return everyone to the land where they belong. MirrorMask was produced by the Jim Henson Company, with most of the sets and many of the characters created using digital-effects technology. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Fantasy

Awards: Film Presented – Rome International Film Festival

Features: Full-length movie
Widescreen presentation
DVD picture quality

Mirrormask

Format: Universal Media Disc

Release Date: 02/14/2006

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Runtime: 104 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish,Portuguese

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Amanda Van Keuren

Long-time friends and collaborators Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman bring to life a world where dreams and reality intertwine seamlessly in MirrorMask. Viewers familiar with the stark and macabre artwork of McKean will likely feel as though they are wandering through a computer-animated version of his paintings. Those unfamiliar with the first-time director's visual art might initially be put off by his peculiar, somewhat creepy style, but eventually find it the perfect medium in which to tell the story of a girl who unwittingly finds herself in a dreamlike realm where things are simultaneously familiar and new. McKean's computer-generated landscapes merge with live action as the stories in Helena's waking world merge with the goings-on in this alternate reality, creating a pleasantly disorienting effect. Both McKean and Gaiman wrote the script, but the clever, often sardonic dialogue definitely recalls Gaiman's former work on projects such as the Sandman comic series and his novels Neverwhere and American Gods. The cast, while not comprised of actors who are necessarily well known, does a more than adequate job of bringing the script to life. Stephanie Leonidas is convincing as Helena Campbell (as well as Helena's bad-girl alter ego, the Anti-Helena), skillfully evoking the often-confusing emotional middle ground that is adolescence, though the actress is somewhat older than the 15-year-old she portrays. Jason Barry is likewise well placed as quirky juggler Valentine, Helena's impromptu guide through the Dark Lands. Rob Brydon handles the role of Helena's caring and supportive father, ringmaster Morris Campbell, as well as the likeable, helpful Prime Minister. Gina McKee, who also protrays the evil and conniving Queen of Shadows and the comatose Queen of Light, plays Helena's well meaning but perhaps overbearing mother. The action in MirrorMask is set to an alluring score by Iain Ballamy which incorporates elements of disjointed jazz and at one point utilizes a very inventive version of the Hal David and Burt Bacharach tune "Close to You." Although it carries a PG rating, this is a film that is innovative and engaging enough to entertain people of many different ages. ~ Amanda Van Keuren, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Martin G. Baker  Executive Producer 
Lisa Henson  Executive Producer 
Neil Gaiman  Screenwriter 
Michael Polis  Executive Producer 
Dave McKean  Director 
Simon Moorhead  Producer 
Iain Ballamy  Composer (Music Score) 
Jason Barry  Actor 
Rob Brydon  Actor 
Stephanie Leonidas  Actor 
Gina McKee  Actor 

Country: UK