Eye Candy #315 - "Mirrormask"

Mirrormask:  With Neil Gaiman writing and production design and direction by Dave McKean, you just know that a film like "MirrorMask" is going to be visually interesting, yet still have an entertaining story. And the final product sort of does. Sort of. Throw in lots of bizarre creatures, maskwork, the most comprehensive use of bluescreen filming since "Sky Captain", and a little betrayal thrown into the mix, and you've got at least a pretty, different movie to look at it. As far as a story goes, however, it's got some serious flaws: 1.) the story moves at a snail's pace; 2.) good production design that serves only itself isn't technically good production design; and 3.) there are some definite Britishisms, including the setting and the backstory of Helena, which isn't explained at all. Imagine a Cirque de Soleil show, throw in some monsters, and turn it into a movie, and you've got the same fairly empty but really pretty to look at result. And that's unfortunate. I expected more of Gaiman's and McKean's story -- while it does have some nice touches, it just doesn't work. This is obviously trying to be a modern-day Alice in Wonderland but is too visually weird for its own good. I apparently had higher hopes than this movie was able to deliver. I hope that some day somehow, someone somewhere decides to film Good Omens instead.