An unapologetic old fashioned romp, Mirror Mirror is a joyfully campy, kooky and visually extravagant interpretation of the Snow White fairy tale.

When we look back at the end of this year, one of the more interesting stories will be the rival Snow White projects released mere months from one another: Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman.

It is Relativity Media who dared put itself out there first with Mirror Mirror and they do so with a healthy amount of low expectations against it with the marketing war going the way of …The Huntsman. Yet there underdog status is there strength, for Mirror Mirror is quite the exuberant Snow White re-imagining.

Directed by the visually strong Tarsem Singh (of Immortals and The Cell fame), this revisionist fairy tale has Snow White (Lily Collins) the imprisoned step-daughter of the evil queen (Julia Roberts) whose free spending ways has her hatch a scheme to marry visiting price (Armie Hammer) and take his riches.

Unfortunately for the vain queen her lover-boy only has eyes for Snow White, who The Queen orders to be murdered. Instead Snow White ventures deep into the forest where she meets seven dwarfs. But these are not the “Grumpy” and “Bashful” types of the Disney film, but rather a group of outcasts turned thieves who teach Snow White how to take care of herself with sword and throwing stone.

As a result this princess is much more pro-active, not willing to wait on a prince to save the day. Collins (who beat out several other actresses for the role) is very good as Snow White, confident and pure with a disarming beauty that projects well in Brendan Galvin’s lush photography.

Collins also shares a strong chemistry with Hammer who is perfect as the dashing, swashbuckling prince, projecting both heroism and goofiness well.

The biggest surprise is Julia Roberts in her first villainous role. While she doesn’t project evil per say, she can do bitchy and vain very well and they are qualities needed for this particular evil queen, who is a mix of Marie Antoinette and Jackie Collins. Roberts is clearly having fun with the role and it especially shows with her snappy exchanges of dialogue with the always “on” Nathan Lane.

As it’s a Tarsem Singh movie high quality visuals are delivered. Brendan Galvin’s photography was mentioned, but not enough can be said of the late, great Eiko Ishioka’s vibrant costume designs, majestic creations that catch the eye and won’t let go.

The vibrancy of the films look suits the joyous tone of the movie. Playful is a good description for Mirror Mirror and there are times when that playfulness overdoes its hand with moments of joke overkill and sickly sweetness.

Regardless, Singh has no qualms in creating an un-bashfully celebratory family movie in Mirror Miirror that takes liberties with the popular fairy tale and makes them work in a kooky, campy way. If that doesn’t satisfy then it’s sure that Mirror Mirror will most probably be the most visually gorgeous film you’ll see this year.