Plot: What’s it about?
An evil mirror is hidden within an orphanage, covered with thick cloth and crucifixes, to ensure it remains undiscovered. This mirror was responsible for many deaths within the orphanage, but now seventeen years have passed since those events. But when a rock band arrives to put on a benefit concert, some of the band members stumble across the covered mirror in a closet and of course, want to know what lurks underneath. When a cross is removed, the cover falls to the ground and the band finds itself locked in the crosshairs of this mysterious device. One of the teenage girls at the orphanage, Marlee (Tracy Wells) is becoming tired of the band’s torments toward her younger brother Jeffrey (Carlton Beener), so she wishes that some harm would come to the musicians and soon enough, that’s just what happens. The supernatural mirror responds to her wish and thanks to some sudden electricity jolts, the band is left fried. So now the two orphans are drawn to and connected to this strange mirror, which seems to have powers they can’t understand, though it usually makes Marlee want to shake that ass. When Marlee’s mean stepsister Roslyn (Sally Kellerman) visits and wants to have Marlee committed, can she call upon the mirror to assist her and if so, what price will she have to pay?
The second installment in the Mirror, Mirror series has some decent moments, but falls miles short of the original, which was no masterpiece itself. The original Mirror, Mirror had a basic, but solid premise and overcame its limitations with some cool death scenes, but in Raven Dance, we’re left with little to balance out the poorer elements. As this isn’t a traditional sequel, the filmmakers could have went in some interesting directions, but chose instead to overshoot their boundaries and come up way short. As this is a horror movie, it needs tension, suspense, genuine atmosphere, and if all else fails, some memorable scenes of carnage, but aside from humorous dance sequence, the usual horror staples are in short supply here. Yes, the band’s death scene toward the start is a fun idea, but from there on out, the death sequences are disappointing and that’s a shame, as some creative gore could have made this one fun. I do think Raven Dance has some good visuals at times, plus solid efforts from Roddy McDowall (Overboard, Fright Night) & Sally Kellerman (American Virgin, Back to School), and its fun to watch Tracy Wells (Gremlins, After Midnight) dance, but its all too little, too late here. If you’re out of ideas at the video store, then Mirror, Mirror II: Raven Dance might make a decent final option, but I’d say a rental is more than sufficient.
Video: How does it look?
Mirror, Mirror II: Raven Dance is presented in full frame, as intended. This is a nice looking treatment, with minimal flaws of any kind to report. It all begins with the print, which looks clean and shows only a few nicks here and there, while grain is infrequent and when it does appear, it doesn’t lessen the visuals much. The grain seems to pop up in the darker scenes, but contrast is strong enough to withstand it, so black levels remain stark and well balanced, even under pressure. I found colors to be bright and consistent, with no kind of errors to mention, while flesh tones are warm and natural throughout. I’d say Anchor Bay has done all that they can to make this one look as good as possible and as such, there’s little room for complaints.
Audio: How does it sound?
As the audio here stacks up about the same as the original film, I’ve ported my comments over from that review, since the same comments remain true here. The included 2.0 surround mix is more than solid, but don’t go overboard with your expectations here. The sound effects don’t need much room to stretch, so this track handles them without issue, but don’t expect the surrounds to pulse either. The main focus is the dialogue, which has a pleasant and clean sound, although not as crisp as I had expected. This is still an above average mix, but I had expected a little more, especially from the atmospheric presence.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.