Despite that the sheer novelty effect of the 3D IMAX medium may have worn off after Avatar made box office history, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is a dream-like cinematic adventure suitable for nearly all ages.
Disney alumnus screenwriter Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King), does a formidable job of working with Lewis Carroll’s original source material (though purists may disagree), while finding an avenue to present a completely fresh story.
We meet Alice as an independent-minded 19-year-old, burdened by English aristocratic life. Pressured to wed a man of the correct status that’s not quite her taste, she escapes a tense moment by chasing after a rabbit and falling down a hole back into Wonderland.
Upon her escape to the alternate universe, she finds that the burdens of expectation await her in Wonderland as they did in London. Her fate is to slay the feared Jabberwocky and free the people from the terror of the Red Queen—and reinstate the White Queen. While a predictable finish sums things up tightly in both universes after two hours, it’s good clean fun all the way.
Disney alumnus screenwriter Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King), does a formidable job of working with Lewis Carroll’s original source material (though purists may disagree), while finding an avenue to present a completely fresh story.
We meet Alice as an independent-minded 19-year-old, burdened by English aristocratic life. Pressured to wed a man of the correct status that’s not quite her taste, she escapes a tense moment by chasing after a rabbit and falling down a hole back into Wonderland.
Upon her escape to the alternate universe, she finds that the burdens of expectation await her in Wonderland as they did in London. Her fate is to slay the feared Jabberwocky and free the people from the terror of the Red Queen—and reinstate the White Queen. While a predictable finish sums things up tightly in both universes after two hours, it’s good clean fun all the way.
Disney’s non-offensive style is smoothly merged with the hallmarks of a Tim Burton production—spooky looking trees, an invigorating Danny Elfman score, and an immersive world. Also present are long-time collaborators Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Burton’s wife Helena Bonham Carter as the evil Red Queen. They provide a familiar link to other Burton films while hardly recognizable in their Wonderland treatment. Especially Bonham Carter, who steals every scene she’s in with her ridiculous heart-shaped lipstick and over-sized head.
Of course the film hinges on the casting of the title character, and Australian Mia Wasikowska shows the chops, charms, and nuance necessary to carry the film through its twists and turns. She’s engaging, fresh-faced, and never annoying—an accomplishment considering there’s hardly a scene without her in it.
Noteworthy performances are also given by Matt Lucas as twins Tweedledee and Tweedledum, foil Crispin Glover as the Knave of Hearts, Stephen Fry as Cheshire Cat, and Alan Rickman as the wise Caterpillar. Anne Hathaway, who seems like she’s in every movie these days, does a graceful job as the White Queen. As charming as she is, I was curious if they ran out of bleach for her eyebrows? Nevertheless, she’s still a class act.
In the spirit of Lewis Carroll’s literary nonsense employed to draw parallels to modern life, the film is able to paint an obvious enough moral without the delivery of a sledge-hammer. Alice must face her responsibilities, without the need to be burdened by others’ expectations—A nice reminder indeed.
[etRating value=“ 4”] Fun for both parents and children
Of course the film hinges on the casting of the title character, and Australian Mia Wasikowska shows the chops, charms, and nuance necessary to carry the film through its twists and turns. She’s engaging, fresh-faced, and never annoying—an accomplishment considering there’s hardly a scene without her in it.
Noteworthy performances are also given by Matt Lucas as twins Tweedledee and Tweedledum, foil Crispin Glover as the Knave of Hearts, Stephen Fry as Cheshire Cat, and Alan Rickman as the wise Caterpillar. Anne Hathaway, who seems like she’s in every movie these days, does a graceful job as the White Queen. As charming as she is, I was curious if they ran out of bleach for her eyebrows? Nevertheless, she’s still a class act.
In the spirit of Lewis Carroll’s literary nonsense employed to draw parallels to modern life, the film is able to paint an obvious enough moral without the delivery of a sledge-hammer. Alice must face her responsibilities, without the need to be burdened by others’ expectations—A nice reminder indeed.
[etRating value=“ 4”] Fun for both parents and children
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