El espejo mágico

Magic in the Mirror is your run-of-the-mill children's movie which doesn't have much to offer...the story is stale, the acting isn't really good and the special effects are nothing to talk about. In my opinion, it would be better to take your kids to the park or something. Rating: * out of *****

I have not only watched Magic in the Mirror, I've bought a copy of it and it's sequel, Magic in the Mirror: Fowl Play. If you liked Howard the Duck, I think you'll like these two films.

True it's a kids film but there are some adult themes like trust, friendship, and faith that make it worth your while to give it a go. The story is about young Mary Margaret, a creative child whose parents are too involved in their careers, who soon discovers the magical abilities of her late grandmother's botany book and mirror. Because she's neglected at home she willingly enters this new world of a plant kingdom that's menaced by a drake (duck) species that likes to make tea out of everyone else, people tea being especially good.

It's a fun movie with a good cast.

One day, I watched this movie just because there was nothing else on TV. While I was watching, something weird happened and it actually appealed to me.

The plot concerns Mary Margaret Dennis (Jamie Renée Smith), whose imaginary friends Bella and Donna tell her to make a sculpture of principal Miss Mallard (Eileen T'Kaye). Meanwhile, her mother Sylvia (Saxon Trainor) is experimenting with opening doors into other universes with a machine called the Doppelgänger (what a silly name). She succeed and asks her colleague Laszlo Tuttel to her place for dinner to celebrate.

Meanwhile, Mary Margaret has gotten into her great grandfather MArgaret's book of flowers and discovers one with strange berries that she takes into her room. Something weird happens and Bella and Donna disappear through Mary Margaret's newly-acquired hand-me-down mirror.

At dinner, MAry Margaret gets into trouble when Bella and DOnna throw tea on Mrs Tuttel (how could they do that if they are supposed to be on the other side of a mirror?). She is sent to her room and discovers that there is a new world behind her mirror (thorugh the mirror berries mshe discovered earlier. There she meets lazy Mirrorminder Tansy, and Mirror Master Melilot.

She also attracts the attentions of the tea-obsessed Drakes, ruled by the evil queen Dragora, who want her because people make the best tea (they get steamed in boiling water for a minute). And she is out for the berries.

The elements of the film are very predictable once you get all the pieces during the first 20 minutes or so. And everybody is annoying, and a slight Alice in Wonderland slash Neverending Story is going on too, but the core is very similar to Narnia. We have Aslan, we have the Ice Witch, we have the Supposed Rulers A&E, we have the Prophecised Kid, we have tha Magic Gateway, we have Mr. Tumnus...