Alice in Wonderland

"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." ~The White Queen (Lewis Carroll)

I don't generally consider myself much of a movie buff, and so I don't dedicate much time or effort to reviewing movies here on the blog or elsewhere.  But for the recent release of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, I feel as thought my entire life leading up to this point has prepared me for reviewing this movie.  From the time I was a small child, I've loved Alice.  It started with the Disney animated film which led to my love of the Lewis Carroll books from Alice in Wonderland to Alice Through the Looking Glass and leading all the way to Gilbert Adair's 1984 addition to the Alice canon, Alice Through the Eye of the Needle.  So, those are my credentials, now, what did I think about the film?

I loved it.  I went in with my expectations lowered due to a few mediocre reviews I had read, but still looking forward to the visual treat I knew Burton had bestowed upon us.  Perhaps those lowered expectations led to my dazzlement, but I truly have very little to complain about.

The movie centers around Alice as a young adult at a crossroads in her life.  Should she do the right thing and marry for money and status as everyone around her seems to think is the only option, or should she pursue the impossible--a life of freedom and adventure?  As she takes a moment to ponder these thoughts, who should she see dashing through the garden, but a certain White Rabbit in a waistcoat, dangling a pocket watch meaningfully in her direction.

What ensues is a return to Wonderland, where Alice is reintroduced to the cast of characters she met long ago.  The twist is that Alice has no real memory of her visit to Wonderland aside from a string of frightening dreams she had as a child.  Mia Wasikowska does an impressive job portraying an Alice whose curiosity and blind acceptance of the bizarre circumstances she finds herself in have been tempered by a Victorian upbringing, but whose sense of wonder and belief in herself is built up again throughout the film.

The Mad Hatter is charmingly portrayed by Johnny Depp who swings back and forth with ease between a dark, menacing madness and the more batty, amusing madness seen in the book and previous films.  My favorite part of the movie was the Hatter's interactions with Alice, as he took her under his wing and a loving, father/daughter relationship seemed to evolve.

Helena Bonham Carter was fairly good as the Red Queen, (Queen of Hearts actually, but I'm trying not to get too nitpicky) as she flew into rages and ordered "off with her head" at the least provocation.  However, in typical Burtonesque style, these murderous rages gained a much darker tone as we actually saw heads bobbing in the moat outside her castle.

I wanted very much to like Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, but to me she was the one downfall of the film.  Her mannerisms were extremely affected and over the top, which is quite a feat in an already about as high over the top as you can get film.  When she toned down the airy gestures, she was much more likeable as a Queen in search of her champion, but I wasn't terribly disappointed by the fact that she didn't get too much airtime.

The assorted inhabitants of Wonderland were all perfectly Wonderful, with the standouts for me being Stephen Fry as the deliciously sly Cheshire Cat and Alan Rickman as the abrasive, hookah-puffing Caterpillar, Absolem.

Overall, I thought the tone of the film perfectly captured the manic, zany feel of the books that the original 1951 Disney effort lacked.  The visuals were absolutely stunning, the depictions of all the characters was superb, and I felt that the story ended on the perfect note.  While this Alice may not be suitable for young children, I appreciate that Disney and Burton saw the adult qualities and messages in the story and let those moments shine.  Let the kids visit Wonderland, I'll spend my time dreaming of a visit to Underland.

Comments

[The Incubator]

Oooooooh, maybe I shouldn't have spent so much time in the kitchen while the 2 of you were watching those movies over and over and over again:) But now I think I'm ready to see this one after your tutorial!

[katelin]

oh what a great review, i can't wait to see this movie and hopefully i'll get to this weekend it just looks awesome and i love the story.

[Jessica]

I never read the books but am so glad you liked the movie. We might go see it this weekend!

[Fraulein N]

Dude, Alan Rickman? I mean, I wanted to see this already but now it's a must!

[Kate P]

I think I've heard a lot of people say they didn't enjoy Hathaway's character, but then they are split down the middle as to whether they were O.K. with the more mature Alice storyline.