Review of film: “ALICE IN WONDERLAND”

2010, 03-09;  Written up 3-11 & 3-14:

Review of film:  “ALICE IN WONDERLAND”

Director:

Tim Burton

Writer:

Linda Woolverton (screenplay)

Lewis Carroll (books)

Starring:

Mia Wasikowska

Johnny Depp           

Helena Bonham Carter

Anne Hathaway

Crispin Glover

Matt Lucas

Stephen Fry

Michael Sheen

Alan Rickman

Barbara Windsor

Paul Whitehouse

MPAA Rating:

PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar.

Quotes:

“Charles, you have finally lost your senses.”

“…  like a codfish.”

“Drink me.”

“Eat me.”

 “You could always PAINT the roses red.”

“Whooo are youuu?!”

“Dogs will believe anything.”

“It’s absolutely Alice.”

“’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves…”

“All the best people are.”

“I suppose this makes us even now.”

“Two teaspoons of wishful thinking.”

“I’ll be back again.”

MY Rating:

8 of 10 stars (based on an advance screening of the 108-minute film).

’Twas THRILL-ig, with no SHOCKY in the [Jabber-] Wocky

In 1951, Disney released an animated feature called “ALICE IN WONDERLAND” based on Lewis Carroll’s famous books about the subject.  While striking in its characterizations, it was not a big hit.  This new release by them is a LIVE action version with various animated special effects…

…  TIM BURTON has his usual impressive VISUAL effects in this story as Alice (MIA WASIKOWSKA) is eager to leave a stuffy lawn party in England &, in following the animated White Rabbit (voiced by MICHAEL SHEEN), she (once again) falls down a rabbit hole under a tree…

…  In order to be able to get thru a door, she gulps a vial saying simply “Drink Me”, & then has to chomp on a cake saying “Eat Me” to restore her to the needed height;  it all goes to show you really do NEED to have those government-mandated labels that warn of ADVERSE reactions!…

…  Alice gets no great help from the Blue Caterpillar (with ALAN RICKMAN’s voice) as to getting where she’d like to go…  The same goes for the animated Cheshire Cat (voiced by STEPHEN FRY), March Hare (voiced by PAUL WHITEHOUSE), and “slow” Tweedledee / Tweedledum (MATT LUCAS)... 

…  Family disagreements soon show their “colors”--  in the form of the Red Queen of Hearts (played with great enthusiasm by a large-headed HELENA BONHAM CARTER) & her army of Card soldiers who wants control of a sword owned by the White Queen (played as a “flighty” character by ANNE HATHAWAY)…  Helena is assisted by the evil Stayne – Knave of Hearts (CRISPIN GLOVER) in her machinations…

…  Per Carroll’s story, Alice joins a Tea Party being hosted by the Mad Hatter (brought to ebullient life by a red-wigged & lisping JOHNNY DEPP)…  She has to hide from Helena before she escapes to the court of Anne (whose soldiers are shaped like chess-set pieces)…           

…  There are some fine 3-D special effects as Alice needs to escape from a couple of vicious-acting creatures controlled by Helena, & when the various armies confront each other for control of the sword that gives its owner special powers in the Queen-doms…

…  It’s not a “great” film, due to some “slow” segments such as at the lawn party at the beginning & at times when Alice travels around Underland… 

...  But, thanks mainly to the memorable performances by Johnny & Helena (& believable acting by Mia), I found this to be a FUN movie overall…

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