MirrorMask parents guide

MirrorMask Parent Guide

Overall B

A young teen (Stephanie Leonidas) whose mother (Gina McKee) is ill, dreams she is in a fantasy world where she is trying to find a MirrorMask-- a magical charm that will awaken a White Queen (also played by Gina McKee) and chase the dark shadows out of her enchanted kingdom.

Release date September 29, 2005

Violence C+
Sexual Content A-
Profanity A
Substance Use A

Why is MirrorMask rated PG? The MPAA rated MirrorMask PG for some mild thematic elements and scary images.

Parent Movie Review

Although many children have threatened to run away and join the circus, Helena (Stephanie Leonidas) is threatening to run away from the circus and join the real world. The daughter of circus owners/performers, her whole life she has been spent under the big top or on the road. Possessing an extraordinary talent for art, the young girl is reaching an age where she wants to pursue her own goals. Frustrated, the teenager responds with a rebellious rebuff when her mom (Gina McKee) demands her help so the financially strapped show can go on.

Unfortunately, the night she decides to spout-off is the same evening the harried woman falls ill and is taken to the hospital. With her father (Rob Brydon) dodging her inquires about the seriousness of her mother’s condition, Helena sketches compulsively, unable to offer an apology because her loving concern is being strangled by the bitterness of swallowing her pride.

This internal wrestle with guilt follows Helena into her dreams. Here her worst nightmares translate themselves as a fantasy world resembling her pencil drawings. Ruled over by a sleeping queen (played by the same actress portraying the mother) who will only awaken if a charm called a MirrorMask can be found, the cock-eyed kingdom is also plagued by an inky entity with icy tentacles capable of freezing anything it touches to stone. Volunteering to find the magical artifact and chase the dark shadows out of the land of light, Helena sets off with the assistance of a newfound friend named Valentine (Jason Berry). But the deeper she delves into the mysterious world and its strange masked inhabitants, the less black and white the quest appears.

For the audience, this live-action/computer-graphics combo has a hallucinogenic feel. Wandering through the weird landscape are bizarre creatures like floating giants, hostile sphinxes, scampering one-eyed spiders, and monkey-birds with removable beaks. As well, there is a controlling villainess (again played by the same actress portraying the mother) whose mouth spews forth a black flowing mass that solidifies everything it engulfs. Reminiscent of Alice In Wonderland, this looking glass experiences will undoubtedly frighten and confuse young viewers.

However, connoisseurs of graphic design and poetic metaphors may find themselves mesmerized by movie’s amazing art direction and the script’s obvious attempts to draw parallels between the heroine’s real and imaginary worlds. Lightened by humorous moments (although not always intentionally), MirrorMask may be like an acquired taste—something that improves with reflection and repeated exposure.

Theatrical release September 29, 2005. Updated

MirrorMask
Rating & Content Info

Why is MirrorMask rated PG? MirrorMask is rated PG by the MPAA for some mild thematic elements and scary images.

The uncertainty of having a seriously ill parent is compounded by the strange images the teenaged girl encounters in her dream world. While the violence is limited, the bizarre computer graphics (despite their amazing craftsmanship) makes the visuals appear rather frightening. These include a spreading, tentacle-like darkness that turns several characters into stone (they disintegrate after this happens), creatures that look like an eyeball with spidery legs, hostile hungry sphinxes, and monkey-birds that hit one another with their beaks. As well, a character is betrayed and kidnapped. Also, some harsh words and kisses are exchanged between characters in the real world.

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MirrorMask Parents' Guide

How does the script use positive and negative images (such as the light queen and the dark queen) to tell the story? What other examples of these kinds of juxtaposed characters can you find? How does having one actor play more than one role add to the symbolic meaning of the story?

How do the movie’s creators use costumes to portray the extreme opposites of a character’s attitude? Do you think real people are made up of similar opposing personality traits? Do the clothes you chose to wear say anything about you?

How do you feel about the comment made by one of the circus performers who states, “Dreams can only get you so far—then you need cash.” Is this a realistic or pessimistic view of the world?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of MirrorMask movie is February 13, 2006. Here are some details…

DVD Release Date: February 14, 2006
For those fascinated with the artistry of this film, the DVD extras will be a feast for the eyes. Go off-set with a making-of featurette and a behind the scenes interview with director Dave McKean, and listen to screen writer Neil Gaiman talk. Gain a greater appreciation for the computer graphics by watching Day 16 (a time-lapse video of one day on-set) and discover the secrets of the Flight of the Monkeybirds. As well, you can have all your questions answered by observing a taped session of ComicCon 2003. Audio tracks are available in English, Portuguese, Thai (all Dolby Digital) and French (Dolby Surround), with subtitles in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean and Thai.

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Another movie that builds depth to the story by using the same actors to play different roles is Hans Christen Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale. A White Queen and a land held under an evil enchantment are also part of the plot in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.