Story

In this modern version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Snow White (Lily Collins) isn’t a helpless girl who needs rescuing by a handsome prince. Instead, she is the very active and capable heroine of the story. When Snow White’s adored father the King (Sean Bean) disappears, the wicked Queen (Julia Roberts) takes over the kingdom. The people are starving and desperate, and must also pay more taxes to support the Queen’s lavish lifestyle.

Snow White has been kept in her room for 18 years. She discovers what’s going on and challenges the Queen. The Queen gets very angry and orders her butler, Brighton (Nathan Lane), to take Snow White into the woods and kill her. Brighton can’t do this, so he leaves Snow White in the woods instead. She befriends a group of renegade dwarves who teach her how to survive, fight and take care of herself. She puts these skills into practice when she has to fight off attacks from the Queen’s guards and rescue the handsome Prince (Armie Hammer) from the Queen’s clutches.

Themes

Wicked stepmothers; good versus evil

Violence

This movie has some violence. For example:

  • The Queen plays chess, but with humans. At the end of one game, a shot is fired and grazes one of the players.
  • The Queen orders all the people who challenge her to be put to death.
  • The dwarves attack the Prince and his companion Charles. They fight with swords as well hand to hand, but the fighting is quite stylised.
  • The Prince and Charles are left tied up and hanging upside down in their underwear.
  • The Queen orders Snow White to be killed.
  • The dwarves attack Brighton’s coach, threaten him with knives and steal some gold.
  • The dwarves ambush the Prince and his men. There’s another sword fight in which Snow White fights the Prince.
  • A horse rears up and knocks out the Prince.
  • The reflection in the Magic Mirror makes some puppets attack the dwarves’ home with axes. They try to kill Snow White, and they destroy a lot of the house. This scene is quite scary.
  • The dwarves try various ways to release the Prince from the ‘puppy love’ spell the Queen has cast on him. They try punching him, slapping him and hitting him around the ears, but nothing works.
  • The Queen comes into the forest with her dangerous beast to kill Snow White. The beast is a large dragon or wolf creature that slashes at Snow White and the Prince and chases them through the forest. The beast has them on the ground but hesitates before killing Snow White. She stabs it with a dagger.

Sexual references

None of concern

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

This movie shows some use of substances. For example:

  • The dwarves drink wine with their meals.
  • The Queen uses potions and magic.

Nudity and sexual activity

This movie shows some sexual activity. For example, the Queen tries to seduce the Prince. But after she gives him a potion, he starts to act like a dog. He bounces all over her body and licks her face and neck.

Product placement

None of concern

Coarse language

None of concern

Ideas to discuss with your children

Mirror Mirror is a modern version of the classic fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. It’s a comedy that mixes some good laughs with fantasy and some stylised violence. It’s too scary for very young children but will appeal to older children, adolescents and adults.

The main messages from this movie are that good eventually wins over evil and that you must stand up to evil.

Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include courage, strength of character, honesty, fairness and justice. It’s also worth noting that the movie has a very strong female lead character.

This movie could give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life questions such as: what should you do to defend or protect yourself? And what might happen when you stop people from being able to work honestly? For example, the dwarves are outlaws and thieves because the Queen banishes them from the kingdom and they can’t work.

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Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

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