Mirrormask was described to me as a film that bettered and improved on the magical, child fantasy that another Henson production achieved in Labyrinth. I think the two films can be linked on the basis of child fantasy and offering a magical journey which films rarely seem able to achieve these days. However, Mirrormask manages to engage and entertain for over ninety-minutes with it’s own mysticism and dream world, standing alongside the likes of Labyrinth, if not eclisping it.

Helena (Stephanie Leondias) lives and works with her parents in a travelling circus. Often made aware that it’s a dream of her father’s (Rob Brydon), Helena doesn’t share this dream with her parents and wants to be allowed to follow her own path. After a vicious argument with her mother (Gina Mckee) one evening, the show contniues as normal, until Joanne (the mother) collapses, and is rushed to hospital.

We’re not specifically told about Joanne’s illness, other than it seems quite serious and will result in an operation. Feeling a sense of deep guilt and remorse, Helena blames herself for the almost fatal situation of her mother. Her father does what any father would do and assures her it’s a symptom of life, and she wasn’t to know.

Helena spends most of her time drawing intricate, gothic drawings of animals, creatures and world that doesn’t exist, but seems magical nonetheless. One night, staying at her Nan’s place, Helena wakes up to find silence in the flat. Turning on the lights fails, and she then starts to hear a musical number being played on a violin and chatter outside of the flats. Gone to investigate these noises, she stumbles upon a violinist whom she recognises as someone from the circus, and two jugglers practising.

This is where Helena’s adventure begins, as she is enters into a world with events parallel to her own, and that of her mothers. Helena befriends the lone surviving juggler in Valentine (Jason Barry), and the two set off to discover that the world of light within which they exist is slowly being consumed by the queen of the shadowlands, as the queen of the light lies sleeping, unable to wake due to a missing charm.

I like Neil Gaiman’s work, and it was interesting to see Dave McKean take it upon himself to bring Gaiman’s work to the screen. With a reported budget of £4 million, McKean has done wonders to provide bother a magical and techincal achievement that has been missing from Henson productions for quite some time.

Falling back to the earlier comparison of Labyrinth, the two are similar and yet so different. Gaiman’s vision is far darker, and much more Earthy a proposition than Jim Henson’s world. The mix of CGi and on screen sets is far ahead of Labyrinth, and rightly so, after all we are talking two decades between the two films. Whereas Labyrinth would engage and entrance even the younger audience, MirrorMask may simply confuse, and often frighten such an audience. It’s more Alice in Wonderland with a vicious, yet mystical bite.

The performances are enjoyable, as the main stars play more than one role. With Gina McKee playing a mother in triplicate (the real mother, the queen of shadows, and the queen of light); Rob Brydon in brilliant show in the first serious role I’ve seen him play, contrasting that with his performance as the Prime Minister of the world of light in fine fashion; and of course not forgetting the absolute star of the show, Stephanie Leonidas as Helena, and the evil Helena, who is delightful to watch and offers acting ability that is beyond the likes of the God-awful Keira Knightley.

So what of the flaws? Well there are some, firstly the pace of the film is a little labourious at times, with the film sometimes finding it difficult to make it’s point without more than a few dozen interruptions.

The music for the opening credits sounds more suited to a sleazy softcore pornographic film, than a fantasy film. Most notable is the weak story with which everything is weaved together, which should be the strongest asset of the film. Not quite Labyrinth, not quite Alice in Wonderland, and often confused about what it wants to be, the film was supposedly rushed when being outlined. You often feel disassociated from the journey, and at times, frankly not caring whether or not the characters reach their goal.

Still, these niggles aside, this is a modern day fantasy adventure that shouldn’t be missed. The story may be weak, but the wonderful and magical world that Helena enters, the performances and the overall polish of the film is enough to make up for what it lacks. It’s a warped children’s fantasty adventure for the 21st Century, and about time too.

Verdict: An engaging, if sometimes laborious, children’s adventure with fascinating characters and absorbing performances