Rating: PG
Genre:
Fantasy
Theatrical Release: 09/30/2005(USA
Release Date: 11/18/2008
SubTitles: English/Espanol/Por/French/KO/TH
Dubbed: English/French/Por/Espanol/TH
Sound: DD5.1/DD2
Run Time: 101 Minutes
Flags: Mild Violence, Adult Situations, Watch With Your Kids
Distributor/Studio: Sony Pictures
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, All Movie Guide