I’ll avoid plot points or revealing the story itself, but it’s very familiar territory for fans of fantasy-fiction.

Every frame is like turning the pages of a fine, glossy graphic novel. The dream-world Helena occupies explores these themes through the unbridled imagination of Dave McKean’s visuals. Jung believed in the duality of man and that we all have a dark and a light side. Helena’s mother falls ill and soon she is overcome with for having lashed out at her mother, then Helena is absorbed into a surreal dream where the bulk of the film takes place.įreud believed dreams were gateways to the unconscious. Helena longs for a normal life and lashes out at her mom who so works hard to raise her daughter while helping to run the circus, the lifelong dream of Helena’s father. This duality is explored in a young girl named Helena (Stephanie Leonidas) a restless girl whose family owns a circus. We may even remember running a little too hot and cold at times, when we were good – we were very good but there was also a dark side with which our budding maturity learned to cope. As young adults we have imaginations that can get the better of us. Gaiman and McKean have collaborated on some of the greatest graphic novels ever put to print. The likes of Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller (300, Sin City) and Alan Moore (Watchmen) burst on the comic scene in the 80s and 90s and put the conventional spandex-clad superhero soap-opera on its ear by using the medium to tell one-shot, adult oriented stories. The duo is a notable piece of a generation of comic book artists and writers that have revolutionized the form. What makes this film truly special is the reuniting of writer Neil Gaiman who wrote the screenplay and artist Dave McKean who directed and designed the film. But MirrorMask is a surreal, dark fantasy tale with distinct style and a sense of humor.

Although it bears the influence of the late Jim Henson, its tone is darker and decidedly less cheery than standard Henson fare which might put some viewers off. The Jim Henson Company has produced a worthy successor to its lineage that includes classics like Labyrinth and Dark Crystal. MirrorMask is a breakthrough in sheer imagination.

Mirrormask by neil gaiman