Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8510 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-06-05
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1

Synopsis
MIRRORMASK tells the coming-of-age story of Helena (Stephanie Leonidas), an intelligent young girl who dreams of escaping her father’s circus for a normal life. When she is transported into the Dreamworld--a place that bears a striking resemblance to her own drawings--Helena is faced with the task of retrieving a mysterious charm that has the power to awaken the Queen (Gina McKee) from her deep slumber, defeat the forces of darkness and return her home. MIRRORMASK is a visually astounding piece of filmmaking that puts a modern spin on the classic fairytale quest. Written by acclaimed graphic novelist Neil Gaiman (SANDMAN) and directed by frequent collaborator and illustrator Dave McKean, the film mixes live action and animation to great effect, while managing to keep Gaiman's darkly beautiful aesthetic largely intact. The film's outstanding art direction is complemented by witty dialogue and some genuinely creepy moments (the words ‘don't let them see you're afraid’ are chill-inducing). Leonidas's performance is remarkable, maintaining a likeability, charm, and freshness that is all the more amazing considering it was delivered against a green screen, with her special-effect co-stars edited in later. Also contained in this box set are two Jim Henson classics, LABYRINTH and DARK CRYSTAL; the former, about a young babysitter who accidentally loses her ward to the Goblin King (David Bowie) and his twisted maze-like kingdom; the latter tells of a distant planet whose fate hangs in the balance of a magic crystal. All three films are tied together by strange creatures, stranger worlds, and the boundless imagination of their creators.

Customer Reviews

Bargain!
You get the special collectors editions for Labyrinth and Dark Crystal which you would otherwise be paying twice as much for separately! What a bargain little bundle! Great old family films!

so simply excellent set
i was given this for chrismtas and couldn't be happier. I wouldnt have thought to put the three dvds together (dark crystals- a film my brother loves, labyrinth a film i'd watch on disney channel all the time when i was younger and mirrormask, a film we both love now im older) but it so simply goes together- i guess i just never mad the jim henson link when i was a child. but it's a great set. if im bored and fed up then here's no other way to perk me up.

Dance magic dance!
Bargain alert! Bargain alert! I'm in agreement with previous reviewers- a great value & well put together box-set! Three quality films and extra's galore. I'd only previously seen `Labyrinth' (years ago when I was a kid) before buying this collection, but even so...I really enjoyed all three films with consecutive viewings, films that might not be the best, but which are certainly the weirdest examples of fantasy on celluloid in the previous twenty years, which juxtapose each other very nicely in this set. `Labyrinth', `Dark Crystal' and `Mirrormask' are each in the great children's fantasy tradition i.e. based in lavish other-worldly realms, which explore some quite dark themes and use frightening imagery, as their mysteries are revealed to the viewer. So while not suitable for very young children...perfect fun for youngsters wanting to sample compelling, vivid, ground-breaking fantasy films of their era's that can't help but make a lasting impression on the developing mind.

`Labyrinth' (10/10)...

Despite having aged the least well (e.g. `80's hair-do's, synthesised music etc) it's easily the most atmospheric and absorbing of the three films. Memorable puppets, original music, grotesque creatures, hilarious characters, an absorbing quest...all combine to create pure magic.

`Dark Crystal' (7/10)...

With eerily excellent puppeteeing throughout and pitch-perfect voice performances this oddity of a film is an enjoyable, if frightening mix of classic fantasy themes with modern special effects (of their time). But it just doesn't deliver huge amounts of compelling story, the story is clever, definitely, but somehow difficult to engage with, perhaps due to the lack of human protagonists. But it's still an absorbing movie.

`Mirrormask' (8/10)...

There are some absolutely glowing reviews for this film on Amazon that I read before I saw `Mirrormask' for myself, very enthusiastic about this movie that was penned by fantasy author Neil Gaiman in collaboration with The Jim Henson Company. These came as a surprise to me, because going by the trailers I'd seen, I wasn't moved to go out of my way to see this film. For some reason my impression of `Mirrormask' was that it show-cased a unique visual style, but wasn't quite matched by a satisfying story.

But in small part I found the opposite to be true- the story engaged me, but the special-effects didn't entrance me. This film does succeed very well however at contrasting the unique home life of the heroine against the strangely disjointed, stylised, other-worldly realm she is transported to via her own sketches. If the visual style doesn't quite captivate in every respect, the dialogue certainly does, there are some beautifully phrased and memorable lines delivered by Helena, her mum and her partner-in-crime, the mischievous Valentine.

Having recently seen `Stardust' (based on a book by Gaiman) at the cinema I can definitely see similarities between the two films, the dialogue in particular, but if you expect a similar level of excitement you may be a little disappointed, because while `Stardust' is certainly the extravaganza, `Mirrormask' is more the curiosity, which may not appeal to everyone, but which I'd still heartily recommend for an honest and universal story of hope, fear and fantastical happenings.