Alice in Wonderland : Movie Review
Walking into this movie with certain expectations is not difficult. In fact, the difficult part is not expecting something, anything, good or bad. Why? Because Tim Burton is that director that is so well known for a very specific style that, like it or hate it, comes with such expectations. For example, I expected it to be weird. Tim Burton excels in the strange, from Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Big Fish. No matter what the movie is about, there’s always an element of strangeness to it. Another expectation I had back when I first heard this movie was on his slate was Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Depp has been in at least seven Tim Burton directed pictures as far as I can remember. Maybe eight, including this one. Carter is close behind that. I expected the visuals to be popping and the story to be different than the establish tales of Alice and her trips to Wonderland so far. Burton, in doing remakes or adaptations, tends to make things his own.
And on all of these expectations I was not disappointed, but I was certainly surprised by just how they were played. Pleasantly so, which was fantastic.
On the weirdness factor, I think it was all completely justified. Wonderland has always been a strange land, in any of its incarnations on the screen. Even the Disney version and the book itself have been likened to acid trips. I was actually surprised by how subdued the world felt. The colors were pretty, but not overbearing, the creatures strange but not grotesque or off putting. It was magical, which was good. It might have been unfair of me to go in thinking Tim Burton would make something ugly out of the story, but that dark edge to his films, that sinister turn or unsavory character or moment that makes things uncomfortable, is another unifying expectation I have walked away with from his other films. This one, however, played the balance between strange and captivating perfectly.
Skipping to the story, I thought it was well executed and crafted so that it was interesting. With that strangeness that is imbedded in the nature of Wonderland, it’s rather difficult to point out plot holes without second guessing and wondering if they were put there on purpose. After all, if everything is so weird, maybe that supposed plot hole is actually a plot point, left that way on purpose. That makes everything justifiable, and the suspension of disbelief the audience has is extended quite far. Burton seems to know this, and plays with it adeptly, without taking things too far.
Johnny Depp is good as the Mad Hatter, of course. He was most of the marketing campaign, and the draw to the movie from early on for many. And he delivers, playing that quirky character role that he has become so good at. But Helena Bonham Carter really shone here, stealing almost every scene she was in. She has this subtle grace about her that, though she was playing the evil Queen of Hearts and was clearly ruthless and uncaring about a lot of things, gave that character a depth of loneliness and sadness that made her strangely sympathetic. I actually felt very bad for her in the end, and I liked it. Mia Wasikowska played Alice and did a fine job, rather sober and never too confused, which was good because that would have detracted from the story and gotten annoying if she was constantly what the hell was going on like any sane person would do. Of course, that was easily justified in her belief that it was all a dream. The voice actors are a great bunch of actors, and I think the most fun comes from reading the cast list during the credits and realizing that the familiar voice of the Cheshire Cat or the Jabberwocky was exactly who you thought.
So I won’t spoil that.
The visuals were impressive, and wonderfully odd in that classic Tim Burton way, reminding me of the Nightmare Before Christmas and Big Fish in many ways, with the fanciful and sometimes dismal lands they wandered through. Oh, and the music is another thing I come to expect from Burton’s movies. Danny Elfman just knows how to bring life to Burton’s worlds and the characters on the screen, and does not fail in that here. I specifically remember listening to the music as Alice tumbled down the hole into Wonderland and taking a moment to revel in the familiarity of Elfman’s style.
I enthusiastically give this movie an A and recommend a trip to the theater at any time of day, for full price or matinee. It is a fun film, and even people who don’t like Tim Burton’s style might find something in this film to like. Or maybe not. I’m not here to tell you to like it, but I definitely think it’s worth a view.
And on all of these expectations I was not disappointed, but I was certainly surprised by just how they were played. Pleasantly so, which was fantastic.
On the weirdness factor, I think it was all completely justified. Wonderland has always been a strange land, in any of its incarnations on the screen. Even the Disney version and the book itself have been likened to acid trips. I was actually surprised by how subdued the world felt. The colors were pretty, but not overbearing, the creatures strange but not grotesque or off putting. It was magical, which was good. It might have been unfair of me to go in thinking Tim Burton would make something ugly out of the story, but that dark edge to his films, that sinister turn or unsavory character or moment that makes things uncomfortable, is another unifying expectation I have walked away with from his other films. This one, however, played the balance between strange and captivating perfectly.
Skipping to the story, I thought it was well executed and crafted so that it was interesting. With that strangeness that is imbedded in the nature of Wonderland, it’s rather difficult to point out plot holes without second guessing and wondering if they were put there on purpose. After all, if everything is so weird, maybe that supposed plot hole is actually a plot point, left that way on purpose. That makes everything justifiable, and the suspension of disbelief the audience has is extended quite far. Burton seems to know this, and plays with it adeptly, without taking things too far.
Johnny Depp is good as the Mad Hatter, of course. He was most of the marketing campaign, and the draw to the movie from early on for many. And he delivers, playing that quirky character role that he has become so good at. But Helena Bonham Carter really shone here, stealing almost every scene she was in. She has this subtle grace about her that, though she was playing the evil Queen of Hearts and was clearly ruthless and uncaring about a lot of things, gave that character a depth of loneliness and sadness that made her strangely sympathetic. I actually felt very bad for her in the end, and I liked it. Mia Wasikowska played Alice and did a fine job, rather sober and never too confused, which was good because that would have detracted from the story and gotten annoying if she was constantly what the hell was going on like any sane person would do. Of course, that was easily justified in her belief that it was all a dream. The voice actors are a great bunch of actors, and I think the most fun comes from reading the cast list during the credits and realizing that the familiar voice of the Cheshire Cat or the Jabberwocky was exactly who you thought.
So I won’t spoil that.
The visuals were impressive, and wonderfully odd in that classic Tim Burton way, reminding me of the Nightmare Before Christmas and Big Fish in many ways, with the fanciful and sometimes dismal lands they wandered through. Oh, and the music is another thing I come to expect from Burton’s movies. Danny Elfman just knows how to bring life to Burton’s worlds and the characters on the screen, and does not fail in that here. I specifically remember listening to the music as Alice tumbled down the hole into Wonderland and taking a moment to revel in the familiarity of Elfman’s style.
I enthusiastically give this movie an A and recommend a trip to the theater at any time of day, for full price or matinee. It is a fun film, and even people who don’t like Tim Burton’s style might find something in this film to like. Or maybe not. I’m not here to tell you to like it, but I definitely think it’s worth a view.
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