Genres

Visitors Review

Jim Vejvoda 2012-05-21 19:33:43

This Wonderland is just listless, bland and derivative -- a mere technical undertaking from a disinterested filmmaker.

2012-05-21 02:00:43

These Adaptations Get Curiouser and Curiouser

It was only a matter of time before a director as visually inclined as Tim Burton would latch onto "Alice in Wonderland," quite possibly one of the most vivid and stirring fairy tales of the last century and a half. Indeed, it has given Burton whole new vistas to explore; never before has his imagination been so fully realized, so finely detailed, so delightfully eccentric. In some ways, he has been set free, the computer technologies of today's day and age having finally caught up with the vision in his mind's eye. He and his team have thoroughly created a world of phantasmagoric delights, a successful blend of live action, computer animation, and performance capture all distorted into wonderfully weird settings and characters. As an added bonus, all of this is presented in 3-D, which doesn't assault our eyes so much as envelope us, like a blanket.The problem is that Burton insisted on creating a story. Despite the classic title, this is not an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or "Through the Looking Glass." It's in fact, for lack of a better term, a third chapter, one that disregards Carroll's literary nonsense in favor of a generic Good vs. Evil fable. There are heroes and villains where none existed before. Alice, once just a curious little girl, is now conditioned to be a champion, which means she will go through a series of challenges before having to engage in a battle to the death. Most importantly, there's now a beginning-middle-and-end plot rather than a series of vignettes. All of this is done well, and it will play even better if a traditional story is what you crave.But that's the thing - the story as Carroll intended it was NOT traditional. That's what made it so appealing, I think. Giving this movie a conventional storyline is sort of like providing an answer to the riddle of why a raven is like a writing desk. It takes the fun out of it.In this version, Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is a nineteen year old young woman who, after having visited Wonderland thirteen years earlier, has been plagued by strange dreams. This is of no consequence to her family or friends, all Victorian in every sense of the word - prim, proper, and snooty. They only want her to find the right suitor, and lo and behold, they have arranged an engagement party for her and her intended, the hopelessly uptight Hamish Ascot (Leo Bill). But ... what's that off in the distance? Why, it's the White Rabbit! And he's nervously tapping on a pocket watch, as if to say he's late, he's late for a very important date. Alice uses this as an opportunity to flee, and in due time, she peers into a rabbit hole, loses her grip, and falls down, down, down.In the blink of an eye, she finds herself in a locked chamber. The only way out is through a tiny door, the key of which rests on a very large table. After a few hits and misses with a shrinking "Drink Me" potion and an enlarging "Eat Me" cake, she unlocks the door and finds herself back in Underland. Really? Not Wonderland? No. Underland. Anyway, the citizens of this world desperately need Alice's help: The wicked, big-headed Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) has overthrown her sister, the overly dramatic White Queen (Anne Hathaway), and now rules Underland with an iron fist. If Alice can obtain a magical sword and slay the dreaded Jabberwock, everything will return to normal. Unfortunately, Alice doesn't remember ever having been here, nor does she remember the many colorful residents. As far as she's concerned, this is all a dream.Naturally, every creature or person Alice meets is strange, if not altogether insane. To start with, there's the Mad Hatter, played by Burton regular Johnny Depp. As usual, he completely disappears into his role, letting the character emerge through inhuman eyes, deranged clown makeup, a mismatched wardrobe, and a voice that alternates between a foppish lisp and a William Wallace imitation. Why the different voices? Because he's mad, I guess. There's also Tweedledee and Tweedledum (both played by Matt Lucas), who look like a cross between Humpty Dumpty and Pugsley Addams. There's the sly, sneaky Cheshire Cat (voiced by Stephen Fry), who freely appears and disappears in a puff of smoke and lets his extra wide smile linger a moment or two more than necessary. There's the arrogant Knave of Hearts (Crispin Glover), the enigmatic Caterpillar (voiced by Alan Rickman), and the March Hare (voiced by Paul Whitehouse), who's absolutely off his rocker.There are many things about "Alice in Wonderland" to praise. It's a stunning technical achievement, not only for the computer artists, but also for cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, production designer Robert Stromberg, and costume designer Colleen Atwood. The performances are decent; I particularly enjoyed Anne Hathaway, who plays the White Queen with the exaggerated poise of a Disney princess. But I have to admit, I was a little disappointed by the story. Tim Burton has taken two highly off-the-wall tales and forced them to be ordinary. I think part of the reason many of us grew up on Carroll's books is because they were anything but ordinary - all character, setting, and manipulation of logic. I can't speak for everyone, but for my money, I'd rather not know why a raven is like a writing desk.

ryealexander 2012-05-20 18:32:36

good

I loved this movie very much and i really liked the red queen and thecat was so cute. i did no' like white queen at all because she wasboring.and her character was not fully formed I thought Johnny Depp wasamazing. as the mad hatter but i hated the door mouse as she shoutedtoo much and it was annoying. i loved the set. it was colourful andimaginative and really took you to another world . . i love the wayever animal talk. so be grateful for good movies was great. Alice wasgood actor and she was pretty and she marry such ugly man. the dogswhere very good and funny. the tea party was such a mess. the endingwas lovely and such fun. and i liked the way she when t home . the boatwas nice. i rely like the way she said no to her boyfriend. the dressAlice as was lovely.

gauravchauhan 2012-05-20 06:23:57

A terrible trip down the rabbit hole

Probably one of the worst movies I have ever seen, so much so that Idecided to write a review to save a few people from watching it. Thestoryline is pretty standard evil queen ruling over Underland with aniron hand and a dragon to boot (Helena carter does admirably), Alicewho is now in her late teens is brought into Underland via the rabbithole again to save the day. The visual effects are great, but whatdisappoints is the storyline at no point is it engrossing and it doesnothing to immerse you in a magical world of fantasy. Depp is a greatactor and has phenomenal range however here he just irritates you withhis ramblings, so do a lot of other characters Helena Carter is toosqueaky and you really want a mute button whenever she raises her voice(which is far too often), Hathaway as the white queen is as aptlydescribed by the actress herself as " Happy Bunny holding a knife" shedoes nothing for the character and looks confused and vacant most ofthe time. Mia Wasikowska as Alice tries to put in a credibleperformance but really there is far too much going going wrong with themovie for any actor to salvage. To summarize watching the movie is likegetting stuck in a bad dream in slow motion its agonizingly painful.You keep asking yourself did Mr Burton even bother to see the finishedproduct post shooting before unleashing it on the world. Please doyourself a favor and avoid this disaster.

Eric Melin 2012-05-19 21:33:38

The visual splendor is more than enough to feast your eyes on, so it's too bad that the dialogue in the film couldn't live up to its look.

2012-05-19 05:38:20

Splendid movie - one of the best I've seen in a long time

This review is from: Alice in Wonderland (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) This is one of the best recent family movie releases I've seen this past couple of years. Tim Burton's vision and Depp's Mad Hatter come together in a stunning tour-de-force of live action w/cgi in an enchanting tale of the Next chapter of Alice in Wonderland, as Alice is grown up and returns to Wonderland to 'save the day' in this brilliant adaptation of the classic.Depps' best work since Jack Sparrow. Wonderful characterizations from all the rest of the cast too, who work together flawlessly as an ensemble team; the chemistry and "fit" is right on the money.I'm glad they did the 'next chapter' as a story arc vs a straight retelling of the tale, which adds depth and continuity to this classic tale. Perfect for children and adults alike, this is a thoroughly enjoyable story that captures the magic of Alice with humor, stunning effects and more. One of the best family films since the original Shrek.Thanks to all who worked on this title, it must've been a ton of work to produce, direct, design and composite, and it's done flawlessly. Our family will watch this many times in the years to come; thanks for creating this truly captivating movie, Tim. I hope you folks will do a trilogy. Bravo! To the magic,Ken

BatBanks Smith 2012-05-19 08:25:16

Alice has returned to Wonderland indeed

This new adaption of Lewis Carroll classic children tale Alice inWonderland is suppose to be a sequel to the two previous books. It hasAlice now 19-year-old returning to the magical world of Wonderland. Shediscovers her true destiny to end the Red Queen's reign of terror onceand for all. There's only one problem, Alice doesn't remember being inWonderland as a child and thinks it all a dream.Johnny Depp teams up with friend/director Tim Burton and steals theshow as the Mad Hatter. Me and my aunt's favorite scene is when Alicemeets him and his fellow mad party friends. Helena Bonham Carter wasperfect as the Red Queen. The once beautiful Anne Hathaway as the RedQueen sister the White Queen look like a vampire instead of a Queen.The Cheshire Cat is not shown that much in the film, but I love the wayhe acts. Newcomer Mia Wasikowska is miscast as Alice, she is too ugly,pale and can't act. Alice is suppose be cute. I still think they shouldhave pick someone like Emma Watson or AnnaSophia Robb as Alice. Thiswas one of the best Alice in Wonderland ever made. Tim Burton has aperfect plot for the story after all no one once to watch a story abouta little girl wondering around meeting odd character.

jatzel09 2012-05-18 17:05:09

109 deadening minutes

Like many in my generation, I first came across Tim Burton after seeinghis 1989 version of Batman. That was the highest grossing film of theyear and it was the most profitable Batman movie until 2008's The DarkKnight. But the success was not just monetary. It was also a criticaldarling. What could we not love about it? a dark and gritty story, JackNicholson playing a mad man with a purple suit, Robert Wuhl as an acereporter and a magnificent (If not exaggerated) Danny Elfman score.Batman made Tim Burton a star director and it gave him power that heprobably never imagined having. But the man could not handle so muchpower. Perhaps no other director is as polarizing as the creator ofEdward Scissorhands (A darn good film). He commands the loyalty oflegions of mall goths the world over but at the same time causes theirritation of pretty much anyone else.I wont go as far as to call him a bad director but the movies he's hadthe most control over seem to be his worst. The Tim Burton style thatwas so well done in 1990 has run it's course in 2010.I went to see this movie with very low expectations and while it wasnot an offensively bad movie, it was still a very tedious hour and 40minutes. Everything that is wrong with a Burton film was back with avengeance in "Alice in Wonderland". A very bad case of style oversubstance. And not very good style to boast.The one thing I was looking forward to was Danny Elfman's score. IfHans Zimmer could make "Pearl Harbor" enjoyable then surely Elfmancould do the same for "Alice" right? answer is no. Even the score wasamazingly sub-par.Seems like even Disney knew they had a stinker if they decided torelease the movie on DVD after only 3 months. But don't get confused,not all is lost with this film. It has some very nice make-up,wardrobe, facial expressions, voice acting and visuals.Everything else? just plain tedious. Oh and the 3D? non-factor. Irecommend you buy and read a nice book instead of seeing this movie.Don't even rent it, wait until it's on HBO or network television.You'll thank me later.I'm sure there's a market for this kind of junk but I am also prettysure they are the Hot Topic crowd.

2012-05-18 09:37:25

Should have been called "Green Screen Theatre"

Perhaps an alternate title for Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" should have been "Green Screen Theatre," because that's all I see when I look at this film - people standing around pretending to talk to and interact with invisible objects. As a viewer it was not engaging at all. The CG was very cartoonish and distracting, and really made me miss the days when movies used actual sets and props to tell their stories. Now, I know these kinds of movies are meant as a kind of mental escape, a fantasy, and I'm sure they are still fully capable of sparking the imaginations of young children, which is good, but on the other hand I feel sort of bad for the kids today growing up on this stuff because they'll never appreciate the TRULY innovative movies like Wizard of Oz or Willy Wonka, or god forbid anything animated in 2-D. Not that "Alice" was all around a bad movie, because at face value it's actually very entertaining and the costumes are terrific. But for me personally, the magic is lost when you know the whole thing was made over the course of a month on someone's laptop computer. Plus these Johnny Depp/Tim Burton collaborations are getting old. They had one good movie like 20 years ago and have recycled the same old shtick six or seven times since then in some form or another, and quite frankly I'm bored with both of them. Both are extremely talented, creative men in their own right, but have fallen into a rut these past few years and really need to branch out.

Devin Faraci 2012-05-18 00:20:05

A bore and an affront to anyone who is even familiar with the concept of Lewis Carroll and his books.

thinker1691 2012-05-17 02:02:15

" If you look closely at a mirror you will realize it has more than one reflection "

Charles Dodgson wrote under the pen name Lewis Carroll and hisimaginative books have been christened by the world of literature asClassics. His most famous and enduring work written in 1865 is called "Alice in Wonderland " which by the way is the title of this movie.Although read mostly by young literary students, this particular filmhas a dark, shadowy, foreboding environ meant for adult audiences.Carroll's original story is of a twelve-year-old girl named Alice whofollows a white rabbit down into a strange nonsensical world full ofodd assortment of creatures. This latest version is decidedly updatedfrom it's original synopsis. The original Walt Disney film had KathrynBeaumont as Alice with Sterling Holloway as the Cheshire Cat. Now wehave Tim Burton directing this more somber offering, with MiaWasikowska playing Alice. Johnny Depp is the Mad Hatter with StephenFry as the disappearing Cat and Alan Rickman is recognized as the voiceof the Caterpillar. The menacing Jabberwacky is played by accomplishedcharacter actor Christopher Lee. Attemping to forget the original andfocusing on this 2010 version, one finds it interesting, assertive andwhimsical. The fast background scenery is fantastically creative andmore importantly action driven. The Idea of a mature, 18 year oldwarrior Alice is difficult to comprehend as she is not only to bemarried, but forced to accept a social standing and offered a travelingbusiness venture as well. It's far from Carroll's original concept.Nevertheless, it's a movie for any who desires to join Alice in themodern world and far from the Looking Glass where she began. ****

tavm 2012-05-16 09:24:51

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is his compelling version of a literary classic

Just watched this movie with my movie theatre working friend thisafternoon. This Tim Burton version of the famous Alice books by LewisCaroll is quite visually stunning, especially in 3-D, but that shouldcome as no surprise to anyone who's seen any of Burton's movies. As thetitle character, Mia Wasikowska is luminous in her presence andprovides an appealing spunk to her characterization. Of course, regularplayers Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter provide their own uniquecharms as The Mad Hatter and The Red Queen, respectively, while AnneHathaway is perfectly ingratiating as The White Queen. Another Burtonregular, Danny Elfman, provides another resonating complimentary musicscore. Oh, and I was wonderfully surprised to find out that Stayne-TheKnave of Hearts was played by Crispin Glover who I mainly remember asMarty McFly's father in the first Back to the Future. In other words, Iwas quite enchanted by this latest version of Alice in Wonderland. Soon that note, that's a recommendation...

2012-05-15 19:48:36

Pathetic Attempt to Recreate Greatness

This film is a difficult one to review. Those who have never read "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There" might be able to enjoy the film from an unbiased perspective, but those of us who have read Lewis Carroll's classics a number of times find it harder to appreciate. First off the film tries to combine both books, which is the norm when adapting the books to film. It of course was done in the 1951 Disney classic Alice in Wonderland. The title "Alice in Wonderland" is often one used when combining both original Carroll books. I don't see any harm in that. In fact, the 1951 animated movie did it exceptionally well because it continued to stay true to other aspects of the stories. The 2010 version fails to do this. The story completely changes in the 2010 movie. We can forget about the fact that Burton made the story dark and scary instead of light and whimsical, as it was intended originally. We all expected that...he's Tim Burton. But characters are combined and new ones are created that make no sense. For example: the movie contains the characters the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) and the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), when in fact Carter is playing the roll of the Queen of Hearts. The Queen of Hearts is a character from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, while the Red and White Queens are characters from Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. They are also chess pieces...not people. Tim Burton takes characters from the books and destroys them. I understand that Burton wants to "go his own way" with the story, and that the characters are supposed to be a little changed because it takes place a few years after Alice's original trip to Wonderland, but this film doesn't make sense. The only positive thing I have to say is that Mia Wasikowska made a wonderful Alice, but you would never know that since the films marketed as "OH MY GOD IT'S JOHNNY DEPP." It's not supposed to be about the Mad Hatter, but it is, and again, it's expected. Also, the plot is very weak. Alice goes from inquisitive and innocent one minute to slaying the JABBERWOCK the next. That's right..it's the Jabberwock NOT the Jabberwocky!! "Jabberwocky" is the name of the poem in which the Jabberwock is introduced. And not once was the word "nonsense" mentioned. Which is a purely disgraceful since Carroll invented his own genre of "nonsense literature" for children. This could have been a wonderful film, but instead it was ruined by Burton's love of turning childhood classics into horrible nightmares. Also Burton's ultra-crush on Johnny Depp is overshadowing what a wonderful young actress Mia Wasikowska is and how it's called ALICE in Wonderland.

2012-05-15 14:04:54

Curiouser and Curiouser As To Why So Strange...

Having read "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There" several times over the course of my life (and loving these stories), I was disappointed in Disney's newest cinematic version. Lewis Carroll's adventures of a little girl who falls down a rabbit hole to discover a strange world is "mad" enough... Tim Burton and Johnny Depp over did it. I suppose that's what Disney wanted or else they could have picked someone else to direct/produce and star in the film, but in my opinion they both were not the best choices. The only live human who really "worked" was Helena Bonham-Carter as the Red Queen. She was fantastic. Ann Hathaway as the White Queen was strange, Mia Wasikowska did not seem like the lively Alice of the book or of the earlier animated version of Disney's Alice in Wonderland and again, Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter was overkill. The whole production was overkill and too far off the farm... and it ruined the story, which is a shame because the original story is an awesome one. p.s. A rating of PG was a little low considering the intensity of the film. I think PG-13 would have been a better choice... very small children may be frightened.

2012-05-12 15:02:50

Ugggh!

This review is from: Alice in Wonderland (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) I have always enjoyed Johnny Depp movies, and think they are fun. Alice in Wonderland is a poorly written film, and although Johnny was his usual wonderful self, this film was a waste of my time and bucks.

kotrynamacca 2012-05-12 09:27:19

The most vivid dream you've ever experienced...

So, I just got back from seeing this film. Maybe film isn't the rightterm for it- maybe visual stunner is. Visually, it was quite an amazingride. The animals who talked, the strange evaporating cat, JohnnyDepp's crazy makeup, Helena Bonham Carter's big head, and the fantasticcolor and scenery...it made Wonderland quite wondrous. It was like avery vivid, crazy, and quite random dream. The characters werehilarious and truly fascinating, especially the March Hare! I thinkthat little skinny hare with that Scottish accent of his stole thewhole movie! Unfortunately, he had too few of lines! The best part ofthe movie was the animals. The Cheshire Cat, voiced so brilliantly byStephen Fry, was the most unforgettable character to be sure. AlanRickman also gave a quick, but meaty and satisfying performance as-none other than- a blue caterpillar! There was plenty of humor, and I think most viewers will agree with meon this. Helena Bonham Carter was the female actor who stole the showfrom the others- being Mia Wasikowska and Anne Hathaway. Bonham Carterhappens to be one of my favorite actresses because of her amazinguniqueness on screen. She has distinct looks, a great charisma, and ascreen-presence hardly surpassed by any other female actor. Though hercharacter may not have a great backstory, the character is understood.Bonham Carter provides for many laughs and good entertainment. Alice,played by Mia Wasikowska, was quite dry. There was no climax for hercharacter (well, there really was no climax in the whole movie), andshe did not change from beginning to end. All characters were static.Maybe the dryness wasn't Mia's fault...it's possible it was the faultof the script. Other than the fact she should have been more expressiveand emotional, there's not too much I can say that is a fault on herpart. Also, I understand working with CGI is very tough on actors, asthey don't see the characters they are talking to while filming as wesee them on screen. Talking into a blue-screen has its challenges forconveying full emotion and expression. However, I've still seen otheractors do much better jobs with CGI. Then, there was Anne Hathaway--theWhite Queen--who gave one of the poorest performances of the movie.Such a hollow and lacking portrayal that it hurt me to watch her. Sheadded no beauty, grace, sophistication, or allure to the White Queen.And her makeup! What happened there?? The makeup was so unflatteringthat it made an otherwise quite beautiful actress quite ugly! The whitehair did not work with the dark lips and jet black eyebrows. She lookedlike some sort of goth girl. Another awful performance was by CrispinGlover, who played Stayne. I don't think I've seen much worse an actorcan do than what he did on screen. It is sad that Tim Burton did notnotice his terrible acting... Now, we can talk about Johnny Depp's MadHatter. Let's face it- no other actor could have fit the role. Heplayed the Hatter to the best of his ability recognizing theshortcomings of the script itself. Basically, the Mad Hatter is insane.He's a crazy and whimsical character who needs to be as crazy as he canto stand out of (or to simply deal with) the craziness of all others.To live in a world like that, you'd have to be a bit mad oroff-your-rocker. Summarizing the role- he's a hatter who is mad!There's not much else to him...at least not much else that the scriptallows to really show. Depp plays him a bit confusingly and differingfrom moment to moment, but that is what the Mad Hatter is supposed tobe like. He's got his cute accents, his smart moments, his "wtf?"moments, his simply hilarious moments, his touching moments, and hisdark moments. And the makeup screams ACID TRIP! As for the clothes--you can't take them all in at once. Only at the end of the movie did Irealize the Hatter was wearing a kilt the whole time. Oh boy...theperformance was quite all over the place, but it worked for thecharacter, and I'm sure Depp meant to do everything he did and meant tocome off as he did. Being very familiar with Depp's work, I know whatgreat acting skill he has, and if a character comes off a certain way,Depp meant him to, and the director meant him to.So, as for the movie as a whole, it lacked a decent and well-organizedplot. And even for people (like me) who aren't very familiar with LewisCarroll's books, the story is very verrrryyy predictable. There are notwists or surprises. Without the visual effects, the movie would benothing. Certain characters also add a lot of substance to the movie.Alice in Wonderland is a concoction of beautiful and engaging sightswith humor and madness. That's what it is. It is not something thatwill mentally engage you. But, nevertheless, it will entertain you. Agreat movie to see on a Friday night after a long day at work. Youreyes are in for a treat! There is barely a purpose or message to thisfilm...just loads of eye-candy that will make you wish you lived inWonderland. It's a fantasy world that really comes alive in 3-D. Theplot will not impress you though. And some of the acting could be a lotbetter. And it isn't always a very smooth ride. Oh well... It's like adream! A dream world...a sort of land that is housed in yourimagination. It is random and weird, but creative and filled withenergy. I'm probably going to see it again in theaters...just to get asecond look and see if any of my opinions change. I don't really knowif it's worth another 13 bucks though.Well...7.5-8/10 because it definitely could be improved.

Amy Adler 2012-05-11 18:27:26

Some kind of Wonderful, is Burton's Alice, being very imaginative and vibrant; but, purists, take heed! This is a new chapter!

Alice (Mia Wasikowska) has been having strange dreams since childhood.Only her father could comfort her when she got scared during the night.Now, her papa has passed away and she is a 19 year old woman in theearly 20th century. Her mother (Miranda Richardson) shuffles her to aparty where, unknown to Alice, she will receive a proposal of marriagefrom a stuffy, carrot-topped Lord of England. But, at the criticalmoment, with the man on his knees, Alice spots a white rabbit and saysshe needs "a moment" to think. Following the rabbit, she tumbles down ahole in the ground, where she ends up in Wonderland. She may have beenthere before! As she drinks and eats the magic juices and cakes to makeher larger and smaller, she eventually gets through a locked chamberand into the forest. Immediately, she is pursued by the Bandersnatch, astriped beast, who is doing the bidding of the evil Red Queen (HelenaBonham Carter). But, the dormouse saves Alice by snatching away one ofthe beast's eyes. Arriving at a safe place, Alice meets The Mad Hatter(Johnny Depp), the Cheshire Cat, the blue caterpillar, Absolam (AlanRickman) and the rest. At the hatter's tea party, Alice learns thecurrent happenings in the land. The Red Queen is in total power, havingdefeated her younger sister, the lovely White Queen (Anne Hathaway).Aiding the royal is the black-hearted knave (Crispin Glover). They cantake prisoners or utter "off with their heads" whenever they wish.Indeed, the Red Queen has recently taken TweedleDee and TweedleDum asher own little "fat boys", to amuse her when she wishes. Alice alsolearns a secret. That is, she, Alice, has the power to defeat Big Redin the near future. But, it would require an enormous act of bravery.Will she, Alice, be willing to risk everything for the kingdom? Dearpurists, don't fret over this new version with endless criticisms. Thefilm is the "next" chapter in the life of Alice, as she herself hasflashbacks of her previous trip to Wonderland as a little girl Now, tenyears later, she has returned, in Burton's vision. And, what a vibrant,imaginative vision it is, for the director's Wonderland is a joy tobehold, visually speaking. There is, in fact, so much detail to thesettings that one would have to see the film two or three times toappreciate everything presented. Apart from the setting, the cast istruly wonderful, too. Depp, alas, has less memorable lines and scenesbut, that is not his fault. In any case, he definitely has his momentsand works them to highest advantage. On the other hand, Bonham CarterMAKES the film, for her Red Queen is very comical and her appearance,with a huge, lightbulb shaped head, is a scream. All of the others dofine work, too, especially Timothy Spall as Bayard, the hound.Wasikowska is effective in her first big role but is by no means apolished performer yet. As for the movie's other assets, the costumes,art direction and camera-work, they are of the highest quality. The oneitem that did not please me was the "playing card" attendants to theRed Queen should not have been red! They could have had red hats andsashes but the way they are, it is difficult to tell what they are.Sorry, that's really small potatoes. IF there is anything lacking atall, it is these things. One, there is not enough humor, in my opinion,I wish there had been more. And, two, the film does "borrow" someelements of the Wizard of Oz and, believe it or not, Titanic. However,these are no reasons to miss this flick at all. In truth, Burton'sAlice in Wonderland is some kind of wonderful and its reputation willgrow in the coming years.

Girish Winchester 2012-05-11 06:59:29

Oh Alice, How Will You Find Your Way?

Directed by the most crazy minded and one my favourite directors of alltime in Hollywood, Tim Burton and having Johnny Depp, Helena BonhamCarter, who are as crazy and innovative as Tim is, this is a magicalconcoction of the classic 'Alice In Wonderland' story. Can Johnny Deppand Tim Burton do any wrong? My answer is a thumping, thundering,resounding - NO. They are the most entertaining, innovative and theirmovies are just incredible and other worldly. My favourite actor everis Johnny Depp, I love his portrayal of all his characters; he is acharismatic screen presence who just wows you most of the time. I hadread the book when I was a kid and except for Alice falling down therabbit hole, I didn't remember anything. This was a fun way to fall inlove with the story all over again. Tim made Alice a grown woman tohelp the audience connect better with the story. The dark backgrounds,the hauntingly beautiful, melodious and stirring music by Danny Elfman(Alice's theme song is really enchanting), the cinematography all addto the excellent screenplay. The cgi effects don't seem cheesy,visually this film is a juicy treat which makes one wanna take a biteat that world. The film released here in theatres this Friday (! whatwere they thinking releasing it so late here? Maybe a summer treat!)and I couldn't get the tickets for 3D because of the mad rush, still itwas excellent in 2D. For a Disney movie, this movie was quite dark andit had the Burton stamp of authority all over it. Some users havecommented that this isn't the best Depp or Burton film they havewatched. They can't make movies which will triumph over their bestworks all the time, alright? Give them a break, they give amazingmovies. Enjoy them for it is and stop complaining.Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) has been troubled by a strangerecurring dream right through most of her life. Now, when she isnineteen, she attends a party with her mother when she is later told isactually her engagement party to wed Hamish Mascot, whose family ownsher deceased father's trading firm. Unsure about everything she runsaway and spots the rabbit in the coat in her dreams. She chases afterit and accidentally falls down a rabbit hole. She gets trapped in aroom and the only exit is too small, making Alice to drink some potionsto shrink and escape. Upon entering the new magical world, she isgreeted by the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), the Dormouse, andTweedledum and Tweedledee (Matt Lucas), who question her identity as"the right Alice." They take her to Absolem (Alan Rickman), a bluecaterpillar, who supposedly knows about everything. He decides she is"not hardly Alice." She is supposed to slay the dragon, Jabberwocky onthe Frabjous Day using a Vorpal sword. The Red Queen, Iracebeth (HelenaBonham Carter) has conquered Underland by stealing the crown from hersister Mirana (Anne Hathaway), the White Queen. She is informed by theKnave of Hearts that Alice has returned to Underland, causing her tosend a search team to find Alice. The wandering Alice bumps into theCheshire Cat, who takes her to a tea party where she meets the MadHatter (Johnny Depp). Hatter is incredibly sure of himself and tellseveryone she is "absolutely Alice", settling any doubt. Now everybodybut Alice have decided that she is their Champion who is going to saveUnderland from the evil clutches of Iracebeth and bring peace and gloryback to the land.In the original Alice In Wonderland, Alice is a six-year-old girl, butin Tim Burton's bizarre vision she has become a grown nineteen-year-oldwoman on the threshhold of marriage. But Alice, even though more maturethan before, cannot find her way through life and remains quitetroubled over the prejudice against women, who are supposed to be allproper and respectful as society expects them to be. In its most basicform, this movie has a moral which tells us to be who we are and forgeour own path in the world, not to be beaten down by others views of howyou should conform to the society. Mia Wasikowska was good in herportrayal, quite memorable in my view. Mad Hatter is a guy whoseemotions are on the surface and he cannot fake his feelings, Johnny wasincredible in that role. Johnny Depp was awesome as always in thesekinds of eccentric roles, but he needed to give the Hatter somethingmore, something was nagging me all through his part. Helena stole thethunder in her hilarious and dark portrayal as the Red Queen - "Offwith his head!" That will be a classic line. Anne Hathaway is also oneof my favourites, she did a decent job as the White Queen. But thewhiteness in her place was mesmerizing. The other cgi character Ireally liked is Absolem voiced by the amazing Alan Rickman. This is theman who sent shivers down my spine as Snape when I was younger and heis absolutely enchanting as the blue caterpillar. Michael Sheen's voicewas unrecognizable as the White Rabbit, but Matt Lucas's double fatboys were hilarious. The Johnny Depp dance sequence in the climax wasreally disturbing, it was way over the top. It is a great movie whichwill be considered a classic, a few years down the line. I am in lovewith this movie, can't wait for the DVD.9/10

eternal_bluesck29-1 2012-05-08 08:21:14

An Alice for everyone = A pretty, but lazy, muddled mess

Perhaps I walked into this with unfair expectations. I love Tim Burtonand his unique and artistic visual flair. And Alice in Wonderland hasbeen an obsession of mine since I was a kid. I wanted this to beamazing, but I what it is is a generic fantasy adventure hiding behindsome familiar faces in fancy new clothes (I must admit, the costumesare incredible).I can't deny that the film is visually stunning, though I personallyloathe the heavy reliance on CGI in movies today. (Go watch Return toOz or Little Shop of Horrors or Labyrinth to see how much more real afantasy world can look with an amazing set and cleverly designedpuppets.) While this post-apocalyptic "Underland" is beautiful tobehold (the moat of severed heads was particularly cool), the worldfeels hollow and distanced.The plot... oy. It's serviceable. You've heard it before: WillfullTeenager travels to another world which has been driven to ruin by atyrannical ruler. Willfull Teenager connects with a ragtag band tooverthrow said ruler and save the world. It's a generic fantasy plotwith the Wonderland gang thrown into the parts where they mostconveniently fit. This is the most disappointing aspect of the film, inmy opinion. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the LookingGlass are hard books to turn into a cohesive movie plot, the books areessentially plot-less. But they're filled with so many iconic images,that when you're prepared to take as many liberties as this film does,it makes you wonder why would you squander all that potential on astory that any Joe off the street could have written? As far as performances go, the film fares pretty well. Johnny Depp is afine Mad Hatter, though at times, he gets so frantic I can hardly evenmake out what he's even saying. Helena Bonham Carter is without a doubtthe best Queen of Hearts (going by the Red Queen in this version) inany Wonderland adaptation. She captured the selfishness and immaturityperfectly. And the voice actors are all decent. But any trip toWonderland hinges on its Alice, and unfortunately, Mia Wasikowskapretty much sleepwalks through the film. Critics seem to take issuewith how she plays Alice as being annoyed to be in such a wonder-fullland. However, if you read the books, you would see that Alice ISannoyed to be in Wonderland. How could she not? She's surrounded byconceited lunatics the whole time. But I take issue with Wasikowska notbeing annoyed ENOUGH. Or displaying any sense of emotion enough. Such asubtle, and subdued performance doesn't really carry this kind ofmovie.There is also an issue with the pacing of the film. It's prettylight-speed, which is a shame because that means it doesn't take timeto savor the things that they could have explored more thoroughly tocreate a richer, more unique experience. The relationship between theRed Queen and White Queen for one. As well as the Knave of Hearts'relationship with the Red Queen. The Knave and the White Queen, I wouldargue, are the most intriguing characters in the film. Anne Hathawaycertainly plays the White Queen as though her motives aren't entirelyaltruistic. But who cares about that when there's a ferocious dragon -or Jabberwocky - for Alice to slay for no reason? Alice herself is agood character, but any scenes to explore her growth as a person lastabout two minutes and are expressed in lines copy and pasted fromeverything Belle or Mulan or Princess Jasmine ever said.Now, this movie is clearly meant to appeal to everyone, kids included.And kids aren't going to want to sit through a talky introspectiveart-house film, true. But Pixar proves time and again that you can haveunique plots and characters that appeal to the masses. It can be done.But hey, Taylor Swift is winning grammys now, ushering in an era ofmediocrity as far as the entertainment industry goes. And Alice inWonderland seems to just be another example of the industry gettinglazier and greedier. I'm thrilled that a new generation can get excitedabout what I think is the best piece of literature out there, but it'sa shame it needs dumbing down and simplifying to do it.

Anup Viswanathan Thampi 2012-05-08 01:05:35

Viewers In Burtonland

Only Tim Burton could visualise the imaginary world from the books tothe large screens.....Burton-Depp Team was,has and will be the amongthe director-actor duo to be remembered.........We can see the duo didtheir best from Edward Scissorhands -> Alice InWonderland.............Even the casting of Helena Bonham Carter inBurton films has added to another trio combination team work..........Idon't know anout the rating but for me it was a visual treat and tourto the wonderland................The film even though everyone know thestory will watch the movie because of the admiration and everlastingconfidence in Burton............I suggest everyone to watch this andnot to think little because you know the story...........