The sequel to the (fondly remembered, in some quarters) 1990 horror flick "Mirror Mirror" could give you cause to wonder if the producers of it made a Faustian bargain of their own with the haunted mirror in the movie. It's like they asked for above-par cinematography and actors, but didn't realise that granting this wish would also put their screenplay through a paper-shredder.
The original "Mirror Mirror" didn't seem to know what to do with the whole "haunted mirror grants dark powers that help you get revenge" premise, so instead it fell back on a few generic horror movie death scenes where pipes sprung leaks and killed naked 20-something high school students. The sequel, on the other hand, more completely embraces its concept, showing people conversing with the mirror as if there were someone on the other side.
This doesn't help much, though. The movie is too disjointed, with weird flourishes of dancing and ravens that do nothing but signal to the viewer that they can stop paying attention because nothing important is going to happen for the next few moments. It feels like the director reaching beyond their grasp. Like they are trying to achieve something transcendent and haunting with the ballet and the raven.
They fail, dismally.
The plot is something to do with a young ballerina and her violinist brother who lose their parents in an accident and are sent to stay with a bunch of nuns. Their much older stepsister(played by Sally Kellerman from MASH) is out to get their inheritance, aided by an evil doctor played by Roddy McDowall. An oily drifter played by a young Mark Ruffalo is there to save the day, however.
William Sanderson (of Blade Runner and Deadwood) is the only actor from the first movie who returns, and he seems to be playing a different character here. I wasn't really sure who his character was, or what he was doing in the movie - but then his inclusion didn't make much sense in the first movie, either.
Unlike the original movie, there is no nudity (or sex) in "Mirror Mirror 2", and I can hardly remember any violence. There was one thing I hadn't seen before, however: a knight depicted in stain-glass windows comes to life. I don't think I have ever seen stained-glass animated before.
The demon that lives in the mirror again shows up at the end of the movie, and we get a better look at him. He's pretty unimpressive looking.
This sequel doesn't have a whole lot to recommend it, frankly. Does anyone watch horror movies for their cinematography or music? Do you?
