Mirrors

Mirrors is the U.S. remake of Korean horror movie Geoul Sokeuro, it is good and scary but not as much as the original one. The movie is about A mall security guard becomes wrapped up in a mystery involving a particular department store's mirrors which seem to bring out the worst in people. The story is almost the same as the original as well as the plot which are interesting although a little predictable. It has a good rhythm and the tension grows in its intensity as the movie moves along, these are two very good things because it never makes the movie tiresome to the viewer. The cast is good, Kiefer Sutherland gives a very convincing performance, although he reminded me of Jack Bauer in some moments of the film. Amy Smart's role was good but very short and Paula Patton as Kiefer character's wife gives a decent acting job. In conclusion, it was a good movie but it could be better.

A former policeman and nowadays alcoholic named Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) who inadvertently brought the death during a face off with an outlaw, has quit the police force . Now heads up security at Mayflower Department Store that was destroyed by deadly fire in which deceased 23 dead and 78 wounds, he's an employee of the security company who finds alone with the scorched mannequins . Having been caught up in the situation at the department store he watch stuff reflected in glass. Then the spirits trapped behind the mirrors flee and attack his sister (Amy Smart), wife (Paula Patton) and sons. Ben comes across his former partner (Jason Flemyng) who now heads the investigation into the recent murders to chase the criminal. The presence of the weird events and the eerie situations causes Ben to relive the horrendous memories which he has since tried to forget. Meanwhile, Carson is hurrying to solve the recent string of killings . As he discovers how a mysterious nun , once-possessed named Anna Esseker is also found lingering about the crime scenes and she tells him about an asylum where seriously ill patients were subjected to mirror-based shock treatment. Without wishing it, Carson is drawn farther and farther into the deep mystery surrounding the astonishing deaths.

Alexandre's Aja remake of a Korean movie titled ¨Into the mirror¨ is made in American style. It packs,tension,suspense,chills,horror and lot of blood and gore including slitting the throat,attempted rage, slicing ,stabbing, all courtesy of Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger. They create a creepy make-up of horrible and bloody images. The gutsy murders are gruesomely executed and equally as graphic as the original movie.The film is constituted by a well done terror set pieces with creepy and spooky atmosphere.The mirrors's reflections appearance deliver the goods with hair raising chills and full scares.The story is borrowing from the original Korean film , taking and ripping off numerous scenes. Thrilling musical score by Javier Navarrete including a leitmotif based on a Spanih classical music and appropriate cinematography by cameraman Maxime Alexandre. The motion picture is skillfully directed by Alexandre Aja, though with no originality because it is a simple reworking . Aja is an expert on terror genre as proved in the new version of ¨The Hill have eyes¨ and ¨Switchblade romance¨ also titled ¨High tension¨ and in post-production realizing ¨Piraña 3D¨. .The film isn't apt for little boys,neither squeamish.

This movie is certainly not the best horror movie I have seen but out of horror movies that come out now of days it is one of the better ones. The death scenes were a little over the top and gory but at least the movie didn't really on mostly gore that a lot of horror movies these days do. Keifer Suterland was pretty good and there were a few jump scares. I like it that they added a little bit of mystery to it. I give this movie a B for effort. It did seem a little long though, they could have made it at least a little bit shorter. They had some cool special effects like when the mirror got shot and the holes repaired themselves. Overall it was not that bad of a movie.

Another over-the-top American horror movie based on an Asian horror movie. Kiefer is alright but the other actors are pretty bad and the dialog is quite poor. Only the first third of "Mirrors" is any good. It's downhill after that as Kiefer tries to unravel the mystery of the mirrors. Instead of genuine creepiness, things jump out at every moment. And then there's the over-the-top finale which is unnecessary and awful.

I like the idea of abandoned places as the setting in horror movies. I watched the horror film "Session 9" after this and it was quite a bit better. The director knew what the director of "Mirrors" didn't know. Setting is crucially important in horror movies. "Mirrors" used the abandoned department store in its first third and then abandoned it for more scares outside. The film should have taken advantage of this setting and used it more. The film does backtrack to the abandoned store at the end of the film, but by then all mystery and suspense is gone from the place.

A man and his family are terrorised by a supernatural force that is using mirrors as a way access their home.

I welcome Kiefer Sutherland with open arms as he's in the land of TV far too often. Although he seems to lack the great range of his father Donald, he is a great underrated actor. Mirrors gives Kiefer plenty to play with, but as with so many Asian horror remakes that have been spat-out recently and while Mirrors is one of the better re-workings, the story twist is something we've seen too many times.

No stranger to remakes director Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes re-do and 2010's Piranha 3-D) takes the viewer though paint by numbers stuff as Ben Carson (Kiefer), a former undercover detective, is forced to take a night time security job at a department store that was gutted by a fire. However, there is an evil lurking in the mirrors, an entity he must stop to save his family.

Lately, I wish all the PC's in the world were stolen so I wouldn't have to see another dodgy effect detract from an actor's performance. While some effects are modest it's the bad CGI that spoils some moments of scariness. When practical effects are used there's one moment that would stop you ever looking into a mirror and taking a bath again.

Jason Flemyng shows up for a brief moment but seems to take his pay cheque and disappear as fast as some of the eerie atmosphere. Between Paula Patton and Amy Smarts (almost a cameo appearance) the acting is above average right down to the child actors who are at no time annoying.

Overall, Kiefer leaves his mark and it may not be the most original horror but at times it is certainly is creepy, not since Poltergeist and Poltergeist 3 have mirrors been so chilling.