Nerd Mentality

MOVIE REVIEW – Alice in Wonderland

Posted March 7th 2010 by Frankie Aguilar.

If I had to choose one director with an truly unmistakable style, it would have to be Tim Burton. One only needs a few seconds of footage from any one of his films to know it's a Burton flick. Eye popping gothic visuals, mixed with quirky dark characters, and more often than not, Johnny Depp are the pillars upon which he's built his legacy. His take on Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland stories fulfills all of those tenets, but lacks the charm of a Nightmare Before Christmas or Big Fish.

Much like Disney's other Alice in Wonderland movie, Burton's Alice is an amalgamation of Carroll's two books, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. This movie comes across as a spiritual sequel to the 1951 animated Alice in Wonderland, with many of its important characters making their return. Burton's film takes place 12 years after Alice's initial journey into Wonderland. Alice, having no recollection of her previous adventures, has grown into a rather odd woman amongst the stuffy aristocrats of 19th century England. When she is brought to an high society lawn party which turns out to be a set up for a proposal and engagement party, she balks at the idea of being married. Luckily, a Rabbit in a waist coast draws her attentions, and leads her to a hole that takes her to Wonderland.

Australian actress Mia Wasikowska makes her first blockbuster leading role as Alice, alongside Burton movie veterans Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen. Other Burton collaborators Alan Rickman, Micheal Gough and Christopher Lee lend their voice to the Caterpillar, the Dodo and the Jabberwocky respectively. Wasikowska initially comes off a little dry, which is okay because Alice's boring normal life lends itself to melancholy, but as she progresses through her adventure her emotions don't follow suit. This Alice doesn't seem impressed by the bizarre world she's literally fallen into. Depp as usual brings his amazing process and depth from characters like Captain Jack Sparrow, and Edward Scissorhands to that of the Mad Hatter. Unlike his goofy cartoon cousin though, this Hatter comes across almost militant at times. When speaking of the Red Queen, his normal high pitched spastic banter, descends into a deep Scottish brusque. His bipolar attitudes are more than understandable though because Wonderland has changed since the last time Alice was there.

The Red Queen has taken over Wonderland with her Jabberwock, a powerful and terrible dragon. Wonderland was formerly ruled by the White Queen, played by Anne Hathaway. While Carter's Red Queen is a fuming comically tyrannical figure, the White Queen is a airy pacifist leader. Hathaway's limited presence onscreen is made memorable by her portrayal of the character. She moves as if always on a dance floor, speaking with a soft agreeable voice that plays a jocular foil to the stamping gait and constant shouting of the Red Queen. Their rivalry has split Wonderland and Alice is sought out to bring peace back by slaying the Jabberwock.

Visually this movie is breathtaking. The mixture of CGI and live action is seamless, allowing these fantastical locales to seem almost real. The best implementation of the CG are the animal characters, most notably the Cheshire Cat. Most, if not all, of the animals in this movie talk, but their animations give them another layer of humanity. The Cheshire Cat's apparitions are a really cool effect and his signature smile is animated wonderfully. The more substantial visuals in this movie are amazing as well. From the Mad Hatter's crazy suits and make-up, to the plethora of dresses that Alice wears throughout, the costume designer for Alice should probably be making space on her shelves for awards.

Where the movie falls short is the story, which is tedious at times. A certain amount of whimsical nonsense is to be expected from any Alice property. Having Tim Burton adapt the literary work of Carroll allows even more berth to the craziness, but more of that fantasy should have been put into the characters and landscapes, and less in the dialogue. Having to contend with a large amount of literary history that you might not be accustomed to is difficult regardless of what's being adapted, but an Alice story goes to a whole other level. Carroll's stories were filled with made-up words and phrases, and Burton has his characters speak them as if they were merely asking for a glass of water. While I must give credit to the actors for speaking their lines so naturally, people watching the movie are the ones who need to know what's happening. Almost all the asides, and digressions seem put in place to pad the length of the movie, rather than to build relationships and depth to the characters and story.

Although dark at times, this is a fun family movie. The characters on a whole are lovable and funny. Tweedledee and Tweedledum are a set of dimwitted but kindhearted twins that along with the Dodo and the White Rabbit welcome Alice to Wonderland, and assist her througout her trials. They play a constant comic relief, with their backwards argumentative twin talk. Their antics are second only to the March Hare, who's the craziest of the crazies in this movie, possibly to make up for the Hatter's occasional seriousness. I feel like this movie could have taken advantage of a longer running time, allowing its characters to display more of their personalities. So many of them are introduced so quickly that you might miss out on some truly great characters. Even Bonham Carter's Red Queen, who's performance outshines everyone else, doesn't get enough minutes in my opinion.  All of Wonderland eventually joins in a predictable climactic battle that Alice was brought to Wonderland to beget. Although almost all big time fantasy movies eventually culminate in one grand final battle between good and evil, Alice's battle brings a bit of comedy and whimsy to the fight which is a nice change.

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