Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd) seems the perfect director to bring Lewis Carrol's trippy children's fantasy to life. A combination of live-action and computer animation is used to tell the story of a young girl named Alice (Australian newcomer Mia Wasikowska), who falls down a rabbit hole into a strange world full of strange characters.
Those characters include Johnny Depp (in his sixth collaboration with Burton) as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, Little Britain's Matt Lucas as both Tweedledee and Tweedledum and Crispin Glover as Stayne – Knave of Hearts.
Initial glimpses of this film had us worried about a CGI overload. Luckily, this proves irrelevant once immersed in Wonderland, which is so oddball and wacky that it bears little resemblance to photo-reality anyway. Although traces of recognisable Tim Burton style remain (the twisty foliage gives him away), he extends his visual vocabulary, drawing inspiration from sketches in the original publication.
Nothing is too scary for younger children (sans the disembodied heads floating in a castle moat), although the creepy look of strangely proportioned characters may unnerve some. This is, in fact, a more mature adventure – Alice is now about ten years older (it’s her second trip down the rabbit hole) and the theme touches on leaving childhood behind.
The film sags, however, when the plot's momentum falters. Mia Wasikowska’s Alice is an empathetic character, a perfect companion for this trip into lunacy, but her purpose in the story isn’t clear enough. Added to the mix are a forgetful performance from Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, and a gleefully tantrum-prone turn from Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen.
In the end, Burton’s Alice in Wonderland falls somewhere between an interesting, melancholic look at a faded wonderland and a more straightforward Disney blockbuster. The story, whilst awash with visual splendour, doesn’t have the guts to stray too far from formula, leaving the end product more style than substance (or, if the substance is there, it’s lost in a very beautiful wonderland).
By Andrew Hedley, Flicks.co.nz
Is it just me or is Tim Burton the most hugely overrated director alive? He peaked with ED WOOD for me and lost it with PLANET OF THE APESH*T. Mind you, I enjoyed SWEENEY TODD, but this? Well, if you dug Burton's CHARLIE & THE CGI FACTORY, you'll love this - and kids may like it too. For me? One star for the CGI splatter - it resembles a tourettes patient let loose in the cinema with a paintball gun loaded with a rainbow of coloured balls... And what a load of balls this is! Why reinvent "Alice"? The original book was fantastical enough. Depp does his usual scenery munching and Mia Wasikowska is barely two-dimensional enough to compete with the CGI... Some lovely turns from the likes of Alan Rickman, Christopher Lee, Stephen Fry and Matt Lucas (two for the price of one!) but fleeting guest appearances aside this is a headache-inducing, mulicoloured mess. Makes Walt Disney's animated version look amazing.
This Tim Burton version is a must have must own dvd the story and animation is up there and is a darker and more intense version but is the best adaption of the story i have seen
I'll give it to the film makers for giving a unique take on the Alice story, but it wasn't enough for me to enjoy the film. The film relied too much on the CG surroundings. Almost all of the performances were dull (especially Alice). Helena Bohman Carter as the Red Queen excluded though.
This movie suffers from Disney-fication. Would have loved to have seen a much darker Tim Burton version. I still enjoyed the movie, as I love the Alice In Wonderland story and Tim Burton's take on it. Best character, in my opinion, is Stayne (played by Crispin Glover), as he is a great mix of the orginal Lewis Carroll character style and the Tim Burton character style.
HI ummm well im 13 and i watched the movie with my 23 year old brother IT WAS INCREDIBLE great movie i strongly recommend it!!!!!!
Sadly Lewis lite and not without flaws but this is as Burtonesque as one could wish for, a real treat for fans of his twisted imagination and great British character actors.
It's not just because of fancy 3D computer graphics that Tim Burton's Alice and Wonderland is the closest to what Lewis Carroll saw when he wrote the book. While no children's classic could be better suited to a storm of pop-out imagery - a puff of the Cheshire Cat's smoke in your face, dodge that hedgehog croquet ball - the effects enhance, rather than make, the film.
A fantastical romp that proves every bit as transporting as that movie about the blue people of Pandora, his "Alice" is more than just a gorgeous 3D sight to behold.
For all its clever design, beguiling creatures and witty actors, the picture feels far more conventional than it should; it's a Disney film illustrated by Burton, rather than a Burton film that happens to be released by Disney.
The film is utterly gorgeous to look at and Burton ensures that every frame is packed with minute details that will presumably reward multiple viewings on DVD.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 4th Mar 2010.
Release date: March 4th 2010.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
