MIRRORS 2
(Unrated)
MOVIE: ** (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The sequel to Alexandre Aja’s creepy horror flick “Mirrors” takes place not in an abandoned warehouse but in a museum. Here, several people are brutally murdered or disfigured by their own reflections in mirrors. A new night guard realizes what’s going on and tries to warn people of the danger while trying to solve the mystery behind the killings and the image of a ghostly woman in his reflection.
WHAT I LIKED
Unlike many film critics out there, I was okay with the first “Mirrors.” It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t the best thing that Aja had done, but I enjoyed it as a mid-level thriller. The sequel plays more like a direct-to-video film, which is accurate since that’s exactly what it is. So, as I began to watch this movie, I wasn’t expecting anything groundbreaking.
If you go in with relatively low expectations, you’ll find “Mirrors 2” to be not bad. It’s not brilliant, but it works for a simple low-budget thriller. For the gorehound, there’s plenty of blood and guts (literally!) to satisfy their tastes. And at the very least, it gives a bit of mystery to uncover (as long as you don’t read the blurb off the cover box, which literally tells the ending of the film).
Finally, there’s a neat little feature to this film that, by pointing it out, will make me look like a perverted pig… but that’s never stopped me before. Fans of the older Disney Channel shows will recognize Christy Romano (Ren Stevens from “Even Stevens”) as one of the victims. Taking a nod from former Disney stars Anne Hathaway and Lindsay Lohan, Romano gives us a rather generous and lengthy nude scene. I was happy, and it’s worth mentioning for an unrated horror film.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Let’s face it, when it comes to direct-to-DVD horror sequels, my standards are pretty low. I enjoyed the film, but the problems were not lost on me. While the film starred some decent names (e.g., Nick Stahl, William Katt and the totally boobilicious Christy Romano), no one really turns in a decent acting performance. This is made worse by the cringeworthy script, which has stretches of awful dialogue that bring the movie down between gore moments.
Finally, as effects go, these aren’t great. Some work, when it comes to old-school blood effects. But the digital trickery looks a little cheap and overused.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
The Blu-ray comes with two featurettes: “The Other Side: Making Mirrors 2” and “Keeping It Real: The Visual and Special Effects of Mirrors 2.” There’s also about two minutes of deleted scenes and BonusView, which allows you to watch the film with picture-in-picture point-of-view of the woman in the mirror.
Also packaged with this Blu-ray is a DVD of the film which includes all the special features along with the original Korean feature film “Into the Mirror” (which inspired the first movie) on the flip side. Two movies for the price of one ain’t bad in my book.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of direct-to-DVD horror and anyone who wants to see Ren Stevens’ bare breasts.