Hatchet reporter Kasey Packer shares her latest movie experience.

“Mirror Mirror” (2012)

“Mirror Mirror” is not the best reflection of the traditional fairy tale.

The film is based on the classic tale of “Snow White” and attempts to put a comedic twist on the traditional story. Directed by Tarsem Singh, the film begins when Snow (Lily Collins) is unable to attend her own birthday party due to the vanity of the evil queen (Julia Roberts).

Common to most “Snow White” interpretations, the film illustrates the classic struggle between the innocent Snow White and the wicked queen, with a handsome prince charming carefully crafted into the background.

But it is clear from the start that this is not your traditional fairy tale. Instead, this story is complete with fighting dwarves, a less than intelligent prince and a Snow who turns into a feisty warrior to claim back her throne.

“Snow White” re-imaginations seem to be all the rage lately, with “Snow White and the Huntsman” set to be released June 1. But aside from being based off the same fairy tale, the two movies appear to be cut from two very different cloths. The action-packed “Snow White and the Hunstman” is sure to attract a more mature audience, whereas “Mirror Mirror” is clearly meant to be more of a family affair.

I had hoped “Mirror Mirror” would prove to be a nostalgic experience – one that audiences of all ages could relate to on some level. But don’t get your hopes up because unless you’re a little kid or a parent, this movie will most likely be a disappointment.

Instead of a light-hearted trip down memory lane, the movie “Mirror Mirror” turns into a 95-minute fairy tale train wreck. The dialogue is lackluster and unoriginal, and each scene seems to drone on longer than the previous. There is an obvious disconnect between characters and even the seemingly indestructible romance between Snow and the prince fails to achieve a strong chemistry.

The film’s strong suits were the set and costume design, which were lavish to say the least. Though definitely not the modest “Snow White” Disney created, the film never ceases to give viewers something interesting to look at.

But in the end, the film desperately tries to turn a classic tale into something it could simply never be, ultimately creating a comedy-fairy tale hybrid that fails to hold onto some form of professionalism.

The only up side to this tragic adaptation? Julia Roberts still somehow manages to charm you into believing the last hour and a half wasn’t a complete waste of your time.

Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Drama
Director: Tarsem Singh
Cast: Lily Collins, Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer
Release date: March 30