Considering the talent onscreen, The Mirror Crack'd should be much better than it actually is. Not that Mirror is by any means bad; it's a more than acceptable English village murder mystery, the kind of cozy little whodunit that is the bread and butter of the mystery genre. Mirror gets off to a crackling good start, with the screening of a murder mystery film that, in its five or so minutes, is an enormous amount of fun; but Mirror itself doesn't reach that same level of entertainment. Part of the reason is that Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple is sidelined for a good portion of the film. This is the kind of device that can work in a TV series, when it provides variety; but it's harder to pull off in a single film and pokes a hole in the center of Mirror that just doesn't feel right. It also doesn't help that Lansbury, who should be ideally cast, doesn't seem particularly comfortable; the formidable actress never really gets to work her special magic and never makes the character her own. By contrast, as her assistant, Edward Fox wears the character like a pair of comfortable old shoes. The rest of the star-studded cast comes off better, although they're generally relegated to playing two-dimensional stereotypes. Even so, they seem to be having an enjoyable time, and don't seem to be bothered by material that's only average. Their fun is contagious and makes The Mirror Crack'd worth catching.