Genres

Visitors Review

davideo-2 2012-05-23 09:04:34

Pretty awful and just a big waste of time all round, really

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning** Sunday Night * Monday Morning A young woman named Alice (Maggie Grace) runs in front of a cab drivenby Whitey (Danny Dyer) who ends up being her unwitting chauffeurthrough-out a series of increasingly wild and outlandish events thatlead to explain why she's being hunted by a load of people for...somereason or other. Malice in Wonderland has the dubious honour of beingthe one film I've seen in ages where if a plot existed, I failed tomake it out. Obviously intended as a post modernist take on the wellknown 'Alice' in Wonderland fairy tale (given even more credence givenTim Burton's recent big screen adaptation of the story) all it reallymanages to achieve is a complete and utter feeling of 'what the hell isgoing on?' It's a messy bad acid trip of a film, which I've just foundout is set in the North East of England but could just have easily havebeen London for all I could make out (even more confusing given theinclusion of cockney actors Matt King and lead star Dyer.) If evenearly on, it's got you lost and confused it doesn't get any easier asit goes on and Simon Fellows never lets up on the increasingeccentricity and nonsense.Dyer remains one of the more curious actors of this generation, so it'salways interesting to see where his career goes, but more far offprojects like this might get him a more off kilter fan base. *

Dazz Camponi 2012-05-22 20:31:49

It's a cockney Alice in Wonderland!

Malice in Wonderland kind of intrigued me because the idea and thethought of making a cockney-gangster version of the Alice in Wonderlandstory was a clever approach as I haven't heard of a version like it soit's unique. It could have went either way, it could have beensomething original yet different or it could have been a laughable ideathat isn't interesting enough. Malice in Wonderland is pretty much thefirst. The story is clever yet average, it's clever the way theytwisted the known tale of Alice but it didn't grip you in the firstfifteen minutes, it took me about twenty minutes to actually get intothe movie and no movie should take that long to get your attention.Even though it started quite slow, as time went on, it picked up thepace and started to get better. The acting is average, Danny Dyer playsWhitey (which is, as you've probably guessed, the equivalent to theWhite Rabbit) and yet again Danny Dyer is basically playing himself, ashis character is the same as the other characters he's ever played inmovies. However, Malice in Wonderland is the best he's ever been. Thetalent that shines throughout is the gorgeous Maggie Grace who playsthe troubled twenty-year-old Alice. The characters were createdcleverly to twist the characters in the story and added a hint ofpersonality from the real world. The direction is done well and thecinematography is okay and it's clever the way they did it. I alsoloved how they borrowed some of the lines from the old movie and addedthem for the characters and I liked how it stuck to the original Alicein Wonderland plot and twisted it.Overall, I was on and off about it before watching but after watching,I ended up liking it. It's an above-average movie and I enjoyed it.It's such a brilliant translation and you would like this movie if youliked Alice in Wonderland.Read more reviews at: www.dudedazzmoviereviews.wordpress.com

2012-05-14 14:23:23

Cool, cool, twisty turny, sweet...

I don't know what it is, but I've been really lucky lately at picking movies that I think are going to be full of one thing, but then turn out to be full of the complete oposite. This was a fun, well acted, and engaging midnight movie (with a perfect twist at the end.)

2012-05-14 01:29:10

Loved this take on Alice

I got caught up in this right away, and thoroughly enjoyed this slightly seedy take on Alice. While not all of the characters or scenarios are believable, that isn't a problem. After all, in the original, we're talking about a girl who talks to playing cards, plays with flamingoes and hedgehogs, and is foolish enough to eat something just because there's a note attached. This version was cleverly done, and I enjoyed the trip through London. I actually enjoyed the driving around bits, which bored another reviewer. The character translations are fun. The only things I did not like as much were the magical things. Having said that, the first 'appearance' of the Cheshire Cat was absolutely inspired. I thought it was a shame that his character got more magical at the end. I also disliked the magic door that leads Alice back home (no real spoiler there); it could have been done mundanely to as much or more effect. I also thought one particular plot resolution was contrived.That said, if you have not seen this and are wondering if you should -- by all means do so! I saw this as a rental, and I will likely buy it.

warpaint 2012-05-13 03:46:32

A Visual Treat

Though the film may lack a bit of depth, Malice in Wonderland is avisual treat that any fan of cinema or the Lewis Carroll stories canenjoy. Similar to Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, Malice in Wonderlandis a modern day take on the Alice and Wonderland story that begins witha young blonde girl running from henchmen who is suddenly hit by a cabdriven by a snarky but charming man named "Whitey" (the white rabbit)causing her to lose her memory. In a rush, Whitey throws her in his caband takes her through a long tunnel (the rabbit hole) into his world ofgangsters, neon lights, and house music. The entire film revolvesaround this woman trying to figure out who she is, where she is, andwhere she needs to be. Along the way meeting a handful of interestingcharacters: the caterpillar, the mad hatter, the queen, etc. Thecharacters are a bit subtle and usually not formally introduced so aquick peak at the trailer will give you a good idea of who is who ifyou need it. I found myself extremely entertained throughout the entirefilm. Visually, this movie is fun and beautiful. It's pretty wellacted, especially for a low budget film. The pacing is fast and keepsyou interested. Though the ending was a bit of a disappointment (I wontspoil anything) and the story overall lacked a bit of depth, comparedto other Alice book to film adaptations this is definitely my favorite(and I've seen almost all of them except Tim Burton's). Definitelyworth a watch! Go see it!

2012-05-12 19:06:06

Pleasantly surprised!

I was not sure about watching this movie... however I was surprised to find out that it was a very good movie. Quite humorous at times and beginning to end very enjoyable.. time moves quickly and you don't even realize it's been over an hour.

2012-05-07 03:31:30

Not as good as I hoped.

I really thought this version would be good. I love Alice-related stories and even did my thesis on the novel. However, I was severly dissapointed with this movie. From the cinemetography to the characters, it was a mess. The story, while sort-of ont he right path, was messy and hard to follow. Also, the characters were a little hard to relate to those of the orginal work. I woudl save your money and RedBox this movie. It's worth the dolalr to watch, but not to own.

2012-05-06 12:52:07

an okay film

this movie is okay, it's like alice in wonderland on drugs. i really didn't get what the director was going for, but it was okay. the only thing good i can say about this movie is that the acting of maggie grace and danny dyer was awesome, but that still dosen't make up for a bad story. if you have not seen this movie yet then i recommend you don't.

Hellmant 2012-05-03 17:57:56

The movie is a mystery and so is the overall quality of the film!

'MALICE IN WONDERLAND': Three Stars (Out of Five) A modern day variation on Lewis Carroll's classic books 'MALICE INWONDERLAND' tells the tale of a young student (played by theincreasingly more impressive Maggie Grace, of 'LOST' fame) who's hit bya cab and transferred by the cab driver (played by Danny Dyer) to abizarre alternate reality where she can't remember who she is and hasno idea how to get home. Constantly in danger from a series of strangeand even stranger characters she must solve the mysteries of herselfand this new world before she loses her sanity, and of course she fallsin love in the process.The movie is very original and different, cleverly written and uniquelydirected, but the material is way too incoherent and pointless whichdoes make it a bit dull at times. Still it's definitely like nothingyou've ever seen before and is certainly memorable. It also frequentlycontains emotional scenes that are touching and thought provoking. Themovie is a mystery and so is the overall quality of the film! Itprobably would be a lot better and make more sense if you watched itwasted. Describing it reminds me of the way some have described mytexts, tweets and facebook updates.Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j95Zjdlcbe0

johnstonjames 2012-05-03 04:55:59

Original And Very Entertaining

I really liked this a lot. It was definitely one of the more originalvisions of the 'Alice' stories. A little scary at times but probably noscarier than say Svankmajer's 'Alice' film. Svankmajer's film is morebrilliant but this film is not to be dismissed either. I don't know ifI think this movie is genuine film noir or not. It's photography andcolor are so vibrant they are almost psychedelic. Something nottypically film noir. But the story and screenplay definitely qualify asfilm noir.I don't think I've seen many movies that are as dark and sinister asthis while being kind of light hearted and fun at the same time. Thestory can be both dark and dreary but also very whimsical and full ofwonderment.The acting is excellent. The actress who plays Alice is cute and funnyand also tough. The cab driver(whitey?)was great. And it's always niceto see Nathaniel Parker who is such a good actor and is hilarious andsinister as a Gay underworld king(or should I say queen?).I thought Tim Burton's movie was probably better, but this wasdecidedly more interesting. And it was even more for adults than NickWilling's hilarious SyFy 'Alice'. If you are a die hard 'Alice' fanlike myself, you gotta at least check this out. It's a lot of fun.

sarpesin 2012-05-02 23:42:40

The perfect Alice adaptation.

There is one reason this is the perfect Alice adaptation. Besides anamnesia thread, there is barely a plot. In fact, I'd go so far as tosay, there is no plot. That's what makes it the perfect adaptation."Malice in Wonderland" is basically an amnesiac girl lead on and pushedaround by a bunch of crazy characters, into stuff she doesn'tunderstand one bit. All this happens in her attempt to make sense ofher situation. She makes a few friends on the way or has a few helpers,but in the end, there is always a villain waiting to find out just whostole their tarts, and is willing to behead our heroine in a mockery ofa fair trial. Catchphrases such as "she stole me tarts", "look at thetime" and quirky rhymes at times (whoah, pinch me) are abound.And THAT, my friends, is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - and Malicein Wonderland. I love how some are raving there is no plot in thismovie, as if the source material had any, or was meant toincorporate/integrate any. Alice has no plot simply because itshouldn't have a plot, and Malice in Wonderland has no plot because itsticks to the original tale: it's a bunch of nonsense leading to otherbunch of nonsense, and when you wake up from the dream, it's alwaysbittersweet.Performances are good, though I found Maggie Grace to be kind of over-the-top, the visuals are quirky enough to keep you interesting but notweird enough to put you off, Dyer is an incredible figure, he'sstraight out of a Guy Ritchie movie, the characterizations areincredible, the parallels are good, shout-outs are nice, and there is anear-instance of a sex scene. What more do you want from an Aliceadaptation anyway!?Like I said, this is the perfect Alice adaptation. Suck it Tim Burton.

2012-05-02 13:53:00

fabulous movie

I couldnt tell which characters in this movie matched up with lewis carroll's characters for some of them, but all in all the movie was amazing!

2012-04-26 10:54:43

Wonderland Underground

This review is from: Malice in Wonderland (DVD) I really liked this take on Alice. This a version of Wonderland that isn't so bright and shiny. Wonderland is gritty and crime filled. Remember watching the original Disney version and thinking these characters are a littlle wonky and left of center. Well these characters take that to a whole new level, so much so that they are rolled over in the ditch on the side of the road. And Wonderland is right there w/ them just as twisted. Alice's story is a little more complicated in this version. For example she meets Whitey(the White Rabbit)by him hitting her w/ his cab. In the course of the movie Alice has several flashbacks to her childhood and some involving a recent conversation w/ her father. It may take you the whole movie to figure out what these mean or you may think you have it after a couple flashes. Alice and Whitey's team up makes the movie. Maggie Grace(Alice) and Danny Dryer(Whitey) have good chemistry which makes it all the better. This take on Wonderland definately isn't for everyone but if you like the strange and unusual be sure to give this movie a look see. Hope you enjoy.

lost-in-limbo 2012-04-26 05:21:51

"The only bird worth saving is her majesty".

The clock is ticking. So I won't hold you up for too long. Wonder whatLewis Carroll would think of this quirky, neon-laced, seamy urbanBritish head spin of his classic story which sees American studentAlice running through the London underpass to be hit by a cabbie whenshe reaches the surface. There she wakes up with no memory and findsherself interacting with strange and threatening underworld figures asshe constantly pops pills in trying to figure out who she is and whatshe is all about. Jayson Rothwell ambitiously reinvented the material,like it was some jaded drug-trip with eccentric characters, brazenideas and a wicked sense of humour while Simon Fellows' lean,over-stylised direction complements its distinctive look and keeps iton the move. It might seem aimless, but there's a purpose for thenocturnal journey ("We all meet in circles") and the twistedreinterpretations (the tea party is changed to a brothel) give it afresh, if daring view. The performances are spot on. Maggie Grace isreputable as the naïve Alice and Danny Dyer is lively as Whitey thecabbie (the white rabbit). Nathaniel Parker is highly amusing in thevillain role. The support features the likes of Matt King, Gary Beadle(cool as ever) and Bronagh Gallagher. Innovatively fragmented, butentrancing fantasy drama."Get ready for land that time forgot."

aimless-46 2012-04-19 13:51:57

Terry Gilliam Meets Lewis Carroll

Had I made the film "Malace in Wonderland" (2009) I would be quiteproud of it. But it is not something that I would casually show to arandom group of people expecting an enthusiastic response. Its targetaudience is the off-kilter and twisted, and not even all of those willwildly embrace this effort. But if you get off on oddity, quirkiness,and fun you should seek out this film.This is the fourth of five relatively recent efforts to "out-weird"Carroll by taking the framework of his story and constructing a featurefilm that reflects the director's inner child at the expense of the witand wisdom of the source material.If a perverse homage is your cup of tea and you don't hold your ownimage of the Mad Hatter sacred, then you should check out this filmalong with the other four: Tim Burton's recent release, Terry Gilliam's"Tideland" (2005), Czech animator Jan Svankmajerand "Alice" (1988), andthe one that started the trend-Richard Elfman's "Forbidden Zone (1982)."Malace" is the best of the group if only because it captures more ofthe original's spirit. It's gotten to be a rather well-traveled pathbut this one benefits from a closer association to the original"Wonderland".In this case Carroll's story is transported to the gritty underworld ofmodern day East London (insert lowlifes, drug lords, addicts and pimpshere). But not so gritty that there are not a lot of bizarre characterswith counterparts in the original wonderland and looking glass worlds.Lost's Maggie Grace plays Alice Dodgson (Carroll's real last namealthough she has amnesia and is nameless for most of the story -perhaps a symbolic connection to his use of a pen name). Danny Dyer isa London Taxi driver named Whitey, and like the White Rabbit he isoften running late despite being obsessed with time. Nathaniel Parkeris a recently released from prison underworld boss, like the Queen ofHearts he holds a trial when his tarts (in this case a string ofhookers) are stolen.Bronagh Gallagher is Hattie, the operator of a truck stop brothel, sheholds Mad Hatter tea parties with the assistance of a sleepingDormouse. Gallagher's character is by far the best of the ensemble andyou wish that she had more screen time.Gary Beadle is DJ Felix Chester (the Cheshire Cat) and Paul Kaye is theCaterpillar. The Tweedle twins are employed as burly nightclub bouncers. Matt King plays a hustler named Gonzo, a significant character whoapparently was kidnapped from the set of a Muppet parody and has noWonderland parallel (go figure??).Grace's Alice is your basic still coltish Homecoming Queen who does notyet realize (or at least convincingly pretends to not realize) howincredibly hot she has become. I have read that she was a last minutereplacement for Misha Barton, who also has that quality. ApparentlyFellows knew exactly what he wanted for the role and why he wanted it.He effectively utilizes her face in frequent close-up, building aconnection with viewers to Alice's very confused point-of-view. Itworks!! The film has excellent production design, cinematography, andacting for the camera direction. The writing is the only weak area, notthat it is poor but rather the project is so ambitious that anotherrewrite would have been a good investment. The romance and the searchfor the birth mother have some emotional impact but are poorlyintegrated into the story. You can overlook a lack of logic (this is"Wonderland" after all) but those two elements seek to provide aresolution to one of the few stories where one is not needed.I just don't see Carroll going out of his illogical lunacy with alogical and predictable ending.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

2012-04-19 10:58:16

Terry Gilliam Meets Lewis Carroll

This review is from: Malice in Wonderland (DVD) Had I made the film "Malace in Wonderland" (2009) I would be quite proud of it. But it is not something that I would casually show to a random group of people expecting an enthusiastic response. Its target audience is the off-kilter and twisted, and not even all of those will wildly embrace this effort. But if you get off on oddity, quirkiness, and fun you should seek out this film. This is the fourth of five relatively recent efforts to "out-weird" Carroll by taking the framework of his story and constructing a feature film that reflects the director's inner child at the expense of the wit and wisdom of the source material. If a perverse homage is your cup of tea and you don't hold your own image of the Mad Hatter sacred, then you should check out this film along with the other four: Tim Burton's recent release, Terry Gilliam's "Tideland" (2005), Czech animator Jan Svankmajerand "Alice" (1988), and the one that started the trend-Richard Elfman's "Forbidden Zone (1982). "Malace" is the best of the group if only because it captures more of the original's spirit. It's gotten to be a rather well-traveled path but this one benefits from a closer association to the original "Wonderland".In this case Carroll's story is transported to the gritty underworld of modern day East London (insert lowlifes, drug lords, addicts and pimps here). But not so gritty that there are not a lot of bizarre characters with counterparts in the original wonderland and looking glass worlds. Lost's Maggie Grace plays Alice Dodgson (Carroll's real last name although she has amnesia and is nameless for most of the story - perhaps a symbolic connection to his use of a pen name). Danny Dyer is a London Taxi driver named Whitey, and like the White Rabbit he is often running late despite being obsessed with time. Nathaniel Parker is a recently released from prison underworld boss, like the Queen of Hearts he holds a trial when his tarts (in this case a string of hookers) are stolen. Bronagh Gallagher is Hattie, the operator of a truck stop brothel, she holds Mad Hatter tea parties with the assistance of a sleeping Dormouse. Gallagher's character is by far the best of the ensemble and you wish that she had more screen time. Gary Beadle is DJ Felix Chester (the Cheshire Cat) and Paul Kaye is the Caterpillar. The Tweedle twins are employed as burly nightclub bouncers . Matt King plays a hustler named Gonzo, a significant character who apparently was kidnapped from the set of a Muppet parody and has no Wonderland parallel (go figure??). Grace's Alice is your basic still coltish Homecoming Queen who does not yet realize (or at least convincingly pretends to not realize) how incredibly hot she has become. I have read that she was a last minute replacement for Misha Barton, who also has that quality. Apparently Fellows knew exactly what he wanted for the role and why he wanted it. He effectively utilizes her face in frequent close-up, building a connection with viewers to Alice's very confused point-of-view. It works!!The film has excellent production design, cinematography, and acting for the camera direction. The writing is the only weak area, not that it is poor but rather the project is so ambitious that another rewrite would have been a good investment. The romance and the search for the birth mother have some emotional impact but are poorly integrated into the story. You can overlook a lack of logic (this is "Wonderland" after all) but those two elements seek to provide a resolution to one of the few stories where one is not needed. I just don't see Carroll going out of his illogical lunacy with a logical and predictable ending. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

2012-04-19 00:08:23

Something for your head

...with Snoop Dogg having an album of the same name, and Tim Burton doing a big budget adaptation to the Lewis Carrol story this small film which had been seeking distribution for almost a year finally gets to shine.This film is simply AWESOME It keeps with the idea of the Lewis Carol story brilliantly. When I first saw it I assumed that it would be to Alice in wonderland what the movie Freeway was for Little Red Riding Hood, I was wrong. This story keeps more to the actual source material not only in feel, but also with character and plot-line development. What sounds a bit off of kooky actually works in a way that left me in awe. This movie has instantly become one of my favorite lil' indies. Acted to the nines by everyone involved, most of whome I've never heard of save for Maggie Grace who was in last years sleeper hit "TAKEN", directed with an artsy flair and delivered with endearing locations, and visuals one can not help but to fall down the rabbit hole again.I say go watch *SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEAD*and get yourself a copy of Malice in wonderland

Awesumchiknsalt 2012-04-18 17:37:59

funny that

another sleeper hit for me i just finished watching this and from thereviews i have read this movie is very under rated.since i heard that Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland was coming out ithas sent me on a spiral down the rabbit hole once again trying to findall movies about the twisted tale...This one definitely hit the mark with me pretty much all the charactersfrom the original story are in there.. just with a twist.. If you don't like movies that make you think and spin you out like youron some sort of trip you wont like it But if you don't like tripper movies why are you watching alice inwonderland ..Tim Burton's gonna have to do some thing spectacular to beat this in myeyes but i suppose hes got a bigger budget and is aimed at kids tosubconsciously send them into a drug fueled adolescence..Circles Circles We all move in circles! .. bring back the mushies !!!!!... Wooooo hoooo!

dioxymoron 2012-04-17 19:43:43

Excellent

A fractured spin on the Alice In Wonderland story.I just watched this film and I was enchanted from start to finish. Ihighly recommend this film to anyone who has a twisted sense of humor.The characters were intriguing and the film kept me guessing, I didn'tsee the ending coming. Definitely worth seeing. Some excellent actingand concepts. Maggie Grace (Alice) And Danny Dyer (Whitey) both performtheir rolls with excellence and they have a wonderful chemistrytogether.It Is definitely worth taking the time to watch this film, it's aconfusing ride, but well worth it.

Rachel Jones 2012-04-17 00:58:48

A Very Strange Trip

I found this movie on Netflix and was initially unsure about it. Thetitle seemed stupid and the rating wasn't all that high. Even once Istarted watching it, I was just mostly confused. I was interested, yes,but so so confused. For this reason, I will say that this movie isn'tfor everyone. It's definitely weird, and not just in a slightly quirkykind of way. My advice is, if you start watching this movie and feelput off, start over.That's what I did, and my experience was increased tenfold. I put mylaptop away (I'm very guilty of browsing the internet while watchingmovies) and found a time when I could actually focus on the movie. Thescript and the acting was fantastic, with some over-the-top characters,brilliant little details and an overall dream-like feel. When it comesto "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" adaptions, my favorites tend tobe the ones that can recreate that same playful crazy feeling that madeLewis Carroll's version so appealing to me as a child. This wasdefinitely in that thread. I'm not sure how well this movie would goover with somebody who hasn't read, or didn't love, the original book.Personally, I had a little rush of joy seeing how wonderfully franticthe trial scene was, just as it was in the book. There were lots ofconnections like that throughout the film. That said, there were alsosome great original touches.In general, I'd definitely advise you to watch it at least once. (Whileactually paying attention) Some people will love it to death, andothers will probably think it's stupid. I think it's worth seeing whichcategory you fall into.