MirrorMask
Samuel Goldwyn Films | Release Date: September 30, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
55
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
13
Negative:
2
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Mirrormask is a gorgeous psychedelic cameo of a movie. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
This dazzling reverie of a kids-and-adults movie, an unusual collaboration between lord-of-the-cult multimedia artist Dave McKean and king-of-the-comics Neil Gaiman (The Sandman), has something to astonish everyone. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJames Greenberg
If "The Wizard of Oz" were reborn in the 21st century, it might look a lot like MirrorMask. A product of the Jim Henson laboratory, the film is endlessly inventive with creativity to burn. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Though the story meanders, the film's look is nothing short of breathtaking. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
Richly inventive. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Not everyone's cup of tea, but a strong, heady brew. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
At best, Helena's wiggy adventures recall such Jean Cocteau films as "Orpheus" and "Blood of a Poet." At worst, they resemble the Vegas act of Cirque du Soleil. Read full review
70
The A.V. ClubTasha Robinson
Episodic, detached, and lacking in drive, but packed with amazing, hallucinatory dream-imagery that makes real dreams look flat by comparison. Read full review
70
Dallas ObserverLuke Y. Thompson
The movie combines drawings, photos, hazy filters, superimpositions and computer effects into a pastiche both beautiful and disturbing. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
If you're not already smitten with all things Gaiman, you may well find yourself, like Helena, a stranger in a strange land. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
The surreal visuals are relentless, overpowering the narrative much as they do in the frames of comic books (sorry, graphic novels). Read full review
63
New York PostKyle Smith
Too strange and disjointed to attract much of an audience, but its astonishing visuals showcase a major new talent: first-time feature director and book illustrator Dave McKean. Read full review
60
EmpireHelen O'Hara
A truly unique fantasy, McKean’s screen debut is tangled but promising. Read full review
60
Film ThreatHeidi Martinuzzi
What it makes up for with sheer visual magic it lacks in coherent plotline. Read full review
58
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
What remains is a sumptuous-looking film that sniffs at but ignores deeper Freudian implications. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Like many dreams, you won't remember it when you wake up. The style obliterates any emotional attachment. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
The narrative is simplistic and lacking in energy, and the characters are sketched instead of fully formed. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Crafted by hand and computer, Mirrormask is as breathtakingly beautiful to behold as it is tedious to slog through. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Watching MirrorMask, I suspected the filmmakers began with a lot of ideas about how the movie should look, but without a clue about pacing, plotting or destination. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneAllison Benedikt
It's hollow. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
The teenager's journey through a nightmarish reverie presents hallucinogenic imagery that simultaneously dulls the senses and hot-wires the imagination, but it never fully engages emotionally. Read full review
50
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Astonishing and frustrating, the fusion of live action and computer animation created by the Jim Henson Company in MirrorMask is an example of too much lavished on too little. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Like the recent Japanese import "Steamboy," this is worth seeing for the artwork alone, but it's so furiously overimagined it may leave you feeling dulled. Read full review
40
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
The film galumphs along in static panels, prioritizing flash over thought, hyperextending a story that would barely sustain a children's picture book. Read full review
40
VarietyScott Foundas
Emerges as an overproduced novelty pic that looks and feels more like a company promo reel than an engaging piece of storytelling. Read full review
38
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Aggressive visual invention is rarely its own reward, and this movie does nothing to better the odds. Read full review
30
Washington PostDesson Thomson
So single-minded in its reach for fantasy, it becomes the genre's evil opposite: banality. Read full review
More From This Movie

55 Critic Reviews

7.5 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL