Last week, critics were impressed by a sweeping trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman, a dark, epic take on the classic fairy tale in which the Evil Queen's (Charlize Theron) hit-job on Snow (Kristen Stewart) backfires. This week's news: The colorful and campy trailer for Hollywood's other Snow White film, Mirror Mirror, has hit the web. (Watch both clips below.) The comedic Mirror Mirror stars Julia Roberts as a sassier Evil Queen and the cherubic Lily Collins as Snow. Both characters vie for the attention of a daffy Prince Charming, played by The Social Network's Armie Hammer. Mirror Mirror will be released March 16, months before Huntsman's June 1 launch. Now that both trailers are out, which film looks to be the fairest of them all?
Huntsman slays the competition: Mirror Mirror did itself no favors by releasing its trailer so soon after the "genuinely impressive teaser" for Huntsman, says Kyle Buchanan at New York. The latter film promises to be an "epic adventure;" Mirror Mirror looks like small-scale, chintzy camp. After a glimpse of Charlize Theron's deliciously seductive and villainous Queen, Julia Roberts' "broad comedic take" is jarring.
"Mirror Mirror trailer: Julia Roberts and Armie Hammer have a Snow White movie, too"
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The Mirror Mirror trailer is charming, not cheap: Snow White and the Huntsman's trailer was haunting, says The Huffington Post. But don't "discount the value of humor!" Mirror Mirror seems to be the "light-hearted, technicolor… goofy cousin" of Huntsman — and everyone loves a goofy cousin. The costumes are deliciously over-the-top, and Roberts is quippier than ever, "stealing the show." Hammer as Prince Charming and Collins as Snow also look perfect in their parts.
"Mirror Mirror trailer released: Which Snow White is the fairest of them all?"
Mirror Mirror has box-office advantages: The whimsical take on Snow White hits theaters the same weekend that Alice in Wonderland, a similarly quirky, visual adaptation of a children's classic, opened to $116 million in 2010, says Eric Eisenberg at Cinema Blend. That this family-friendly Snow White film courts a younger demographic will also pad ticket sales. And though her star has waned in recent years, Roberts' box office drawing power should not be discounted.
"Snow White and the Huntsman vs. Mirror Mirror: Which trailer comes out on top?"
Both films will find an audience: I've had a nagging feeling that the relentless comparisons between the two Snow White films have been overblown, says Steven Zeitchik at the Los Angeles Times. Now that both trailers are out, it seems I was right. Huntsman appears "genuinely scary" and "ultra-serious." Mirror Mirror, on the other hand, is light and bouncy, like a mix "between The Princess Diaries and a live-action Shrek." The two films differ so starkly in tone, that "at this point, it's becoming clear that each movie can succeed on its own."
"Mirror Mirror trailer: Are the Snow White wars overblown?"
Snow White and the Huntsman:
Mirror Mirror:
