Alice in Wonderland

"Alice in Wonderland" was directed by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, and Mia Wasikowska.  It also features the voice talents of Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Crispin Glover, Michael Sheen, and others.  Yes, four of those people worked on Tim Burton's last outing, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."  It is a continuation of and is based off the novels, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass," both written by Lewis Carroll.


Alice (Mia Wasikowska) went through the rabbit hole and into Wonderland when she was 7.  Twelve years have passed and she's back.  Apparently she is the only person who can kill the Jabberwocky, a dragon, and end the Red Queen's (Helena Bonham Carter) rule. Johnny Depp plays the Mad Hatter and Anne Hathaway is the White Queen.  The rest of the cast pretty much voices computer generated characters.


The positive points: The score...yes, it's definitely Danny Elfman again, because he and Tim Burton love each other (Tim Burton also loves Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter for those who are not aware).  True, his scores sound very similar, but they are usually dark, intense, and compelling, which is what you want with a Tim Burton movie.  Tim Burton's visuals and Danny Elfman's score have been complimenting one another for over 2 decades now.  Johnny Depp is a strange combination between Willy Wonka, Jack Sparrow, and Sweeney Todd in this movie as the Mad Hatter.  Yes, that is really strange...as his character is...and as he plays very well.  Of course the man can do pretty much any role put in front of him, but if he weren't in this movie there would be little reason to see it.  He and Helena Bonham Carter definitely steal the show, as it were.  Something about her and a huge head is amusing to me.  The rest of the cast is good as well, but the focus, as far as interesting characters and actors are concerned, lie with those two.  The movie is dark (especially compared to Disney's 1951 animated version)...which is always fun because it is a Tim Burton movie...but it just seems less Tim Burton than some of his other ones...which is sad.


The negative points: The movie starts slow and isn't really interesting until she falls into the rabbit hole.  Of course when she does we enter a gigantic green screen.  And it is utterly - horrible...for the most part anyway - there are some exceptions, which I'm sure are obvious to those who decide to watch it.  Computer generated images are one of the most horrible things about the movie industry.  One would think that after nearly 2 decades we would be able to get realistic looking computer generated images for the screen.  That is a tremendous falsehood.  It's awful when the computer generated effects from "Jurassic Park" (in 1993!) are more real-looking.  The computer generated effects look terribly fake in "Alice in Wonderland" and made me wish for stop motion, animatronics...2-D hand drawn animation...anything else.  Also, the ending was weak.  There's a nice little face-off between Alice and the dragon...ok...fun...kind of doesn't fit with the tone of the rest of the movie, but whatever.  And then for some reason Johnny Depp feels the need to dance and it was embarrassingly horrible.  I got awful flashbacks from the male stripper in "The Proposal"....awful...unnecessary....choose whatever word you want.  Then the credits hit and there is one more horrible experience before you get back in the car and head home from the cinema.  Yes, Avril Lavigne is in "Alice in Wonderland," at least her voice is as she sings some horrible song that I assume gets most people in a really bad mood because it doesn't fit the movie at all and she is just terrible.


Well, I love Tim Burton...generally speaking.  I got to say I am not a fan of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," however, and I got a similar vibe watching this movie.  "Alice is Wonderland" is a very strange follow-up to "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," which was a fantastic movie, 4 stars, and one of my favorites in the last decade. His newest one was okay....except for the ending, the awful computer generated effects, and Avril Lavigne.  However, watching Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, listening to Danny Elfman's score, and looking at Tim Burton visuals that weren't done on the computer...if there were any, is some form of enjoyment.  I would say rent it or if you must see it in theaters go to a matinee or use a coupon and don't see it in 3-D because it's too expensive.  The movie has gotten mostly negative reviews though, so take from that what you will...so basically rent "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" and if you can stomach the large amounts of blood and great music you will thoroughly enjoy it.  2 out of 4 stars.


-Joseph Sbrilli