Alice In Wonderland (thanks for the pic Disney!)
I had the chance to take a lovely girl to Alice In Wonderland in 3D the other Saturday. The girl was my everloving daughter and we had a glorious day!
To the task at hand.
If you’ve seen the movie, or have been arguing about it on imdb, then you probably know that this is not your mother’s Alice. It’s some years into the future… Wonderland is not really Wonderland, it’s Underland and… yata yata yata.
I don’t care about all that, it’s a film. It’s meant to entertain. I thought it did so very well. This was very immersive filmmaking. And not just because it was in 3D. This was more about the characters and the story than I had expected. And Tim Burton did a fantastic job of weaving the story, not getting too carried away with the toy that is 3D (mebbe not enough?), and just being himself as a director. Flamboyant and quirky, but not too a fault.
Mia Wasikowska is wonderful as a grown up Alice. Great find in this young lady.
Helena Bonham Carter was probably my favorite character as the despicable Red Queen. She sunk her teeth into this role. Delivering her vileness with aplomb, yet communicating that she was really just an insecure little creature. Her depravity the result of mutated jealousy and envy.
Crispin Glover delivers his usual creepiness with aplomb. His CG elongated body did disturb me a touch. Not the best executed sfx in the movie.
Johnny Depp… hrmm… I think I will have to see it again to really weigh in on M. Depp’s performance. I can’t really comes to grip with his performance just yet. I guess I am a little disapointed. But… it’s not fair really. The bar is set so high for Johnny. That’s why I want to reserve judgment for now. Was this portrayal just more sublime? Do I need to do more research on the Mad Hatter? I always expect to be wowed by Depp… I guess I just wasn’t in this first viewing.
All in all, I got a lot out of this movie. Laughs, great lines, great fantasy. The animals are great. The settings are exceptional. The 3D fx was not overused, and could have been even utilized a little more, imho. My daughter and I both enjoyed it immensely, and will probably see it again.
I do recommend this movie. I do recommend that you see it without too much preconception on what you know about the characters of Lewis Carroll. You’ll only get yer panties in a bunch. Just be entertained. Or go yell at people on the boards at imdb. I do!
p.
