This movie was definitely not what I anticipated, but then again, I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting. Weirdness? Yes. And Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland includes weird aspects and strange encounters without a doubt. A remake of the family-friendly animated Disney classic? Perhaps. And while this film does contain some elements similar to those seen in Disney's 1951 animated classic, Tim Burton expands on those previous childlike themes. A combination of both Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass? No. But this film was based on and incorporated characteristics of both stories.
Instead of portraying Alice as a young girl which audiences are generally more familiar with, Alice is now a 19-year-old young woman. While attending a party, she is unexpectedly proposed to by a wealthy aristocrat. Needing a minute to ponder over her decision, she runs away and stumbles into a rabbit hole where once again she is transported to Wonderland. Although she has no memory of her previous visit, inhabitants of Wonderland have been waiting for her return to help them overthrow the Red Queen, who has driven Wonderland to despair.
A mixture of themes, characters, and events from both Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are seen throughout the film, which, in my opinion, made it difficult to follow at times. For example, The Jabberwocky is only present in Through the Looking Glass, as are Tweedledee, Tweedledum, and the White Queen. The Queen of Hearts and the Red Queen are used interchangeably throughout the film along with their deck of cards and chess motifs, even though they are two separate Queens in two separate stories. The confusion of combining the two left me frustrated.
I thoroughly enjoy Johnny Depp's portrayal of The Mad Hatter, however. I noticed that a handful of his past characters seemed to emerge through The Mad Hatter's mannerisms, including Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands, and Sweeney Todd. Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway were also notable as the Red and White Queens, and Mia Wasikowska's portrayal of Alice was also enjoyable.
Overall, the movie moved along quite quickly, and it seemed just the right length. I also loved Alice's different costumes throughout the film as she changed heights..
I feel that the audience market for this movie is tough to hit, and I'm not quite sure of the age of the intended audience. Even though the film is only rated PG, there are still gory images and scenes that might be disturbing for young children. On the other hand, some scenes felt slightly repetitive and childlike, which may be somewhat of a bore for adults. I certainly found the film interesting. Not amazing, but definitely entertaining.
My overall rating: 6.5/10
-Lindsay
