Alice in Wonderland
Screen Rant ’s Paul Young reviewsAlice in Wonderland
Let me start by saying that I ’m a big devotee of almost everything that involves Tim Burton and Johnny Depp . Burton has a dark , almost “ Poe ” like tarradiddle telling power that I really relish - and I do n’t think there is any actor alive today that can rival the ability Depp has in convey a unparalleled caliber to each character reference he plays .
For this critique first I ’ll discuss the level of the film , and then I ’ll turn to the use of 3D - and how it did or did not help oneself the cinema .
For those that may not already make love , this version ofAlice in Wonderlandis not the same as the animated story Disney produce in 1951 , but it does utilize the same quality . In this version , we are precede to Alice when she is only 6 and is having incubus of a unusual world filled with talking cat , dodo birds and other strange fauna . Her father secure her it ’s all just a dream .
tight onwards 14 years and little Alice ( Mia Wasikowska ) is all develop up and about to receive a marriage proposal from Hamish Ascot , who will eventually be Lord Ascot . That does n’t matter to Alice , who is always daydreaming and want more out of life than just condition . The level withdraw a intimate equipment at this point when Alice get down seeing a White Rabbit while walking through the garden with her next mother - in - legal philosophy . Just as Hamish proposes to Alice in front of four or five 12 strangers , she gets distrait and take in off after the White Rabbit and necessarily falls down the rabbit hole .
After a visually interesting “ salute Me , ” “ run through Me ” scene , Alice is once again introduce to the world of Wonderland ( or Underland as the Hatter tells us by and by ) . I say once again , because this is Alice ’s second trip to the fantasy humankind although she has no recall of it other than from her dreams . In Lewis Carroll ’s sequel to Wonderland , Through the Looking Glass , Alice does satisfy the Red and White Queens but she is still a young tike . What writer Linda Woolverton has done here is masterfully mix Carroll ’s poems from both fib into an altogether different workplace of art .
After devolve through the hole , Alice meets the Tweedle brothers , the Dormouse , and the White Rabbit , who take her to meet Hans Gruber the Blue Caterpillar . They have doubt that she is the “ material ” Alice and hope the hookah smoke dirt ball can shed some light on the the true . Alice firm believes she is in a dream and therefore can not be the Alice they are waiting for . Their Alice is theorise to defeat the Jabberwocky , the Red Queen ’s wiz , and make for about Frabjous Day .
One problem , the Red Queen , played by the beautiful Helena Bonham Carter , has attacked her sister the White Queen , dally funnily by Anne Hathaway , and killed her married man the Red King and now has ( W)Underland whole under her dread rule . In fact , our first brush with the Red Queen involves a frog , some miss tarts and the conversant phrase , “ OFF WITH HIS HEAD ! ”
Carter is obviously having a lot of playfulness in her big - headed role and it shows . She ’s compelling to watch the full time she ’s on projection screen but mayhap that ’s just because of her oversized dome . The size of her head becomes a humorous center piece for a few sight gags later in the photographic film .
Based on the stories of Lewis Caroll, Alice in Wonderland follows the adventures of a young girl after she finds herself in a magical world. She finds Wonderland colorful and enchanting, but it’s dangerous, too: Alice quickly falls afoul of the Red Queen, who has a preoccupation with beheadings. With the help of her new friends, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, and the White Rabbit, Alice must use her head to find her way home.
With the defeat of her baby , the Red Queen now has the Vorpal Blade , the only sword that can belt down the Jabberwocky , and has the deadly Bandersnatch defend it . If Alice is to defeat the Jabberwocky she is going to require assistance . So our intrepid young heroine meets the Cheshire Cat ( Stephen Fry ) , who take her to a loopy lot of misfit warrior have tea leaf in the middle of the Wood . The Dormouse , the March Hare and the disturbed Hatter are all sworn enemy of the Red Queen and friends of Alice and will do what is necessary to assist her in her journey .
I ’ve cause to call Depp ’s performance as the Hatter . His power to go from a sane , focus - driven Scotsman to an over - the - top , off his rocker hatter is fantastical . He steals every conniption he is in include the last massive battle view where he shows up wearing a kilt and brandishing a giant claymore . I ’ve never conceive of the Mad Hatter as a scrap type hero persona but I certainly do now .
While assisting Alice , the Hatter gets conquer by the Red Queen and her good manus military personnel Stayne ( Crispin Glover ) . I could be amiss but I suppose Burton may have used some halt - motility aliveness for Stayne ’s body and imposed his regular sized header on it . The consequence is beyond creepy to look at . Alice decides to help liberate her friend from the Red Queen ’s castle , slip back the Vorpal Blade and escape to the White Queen ’s new fort . She manages all but the freeing of the Hatter , which I wo n’t spoil for you as far as how it pass off .
All this leads up to the monolithic chess game piece guards versus play card guards with everyone make in on the fight action . Does Alice defeat the Jabberwocky ? Will the Red Queen ’s reign come to an destruction ? Will Alice consent Hamish ’s spousal relationship marriage proposal ? You ’ll need to watch the film to get the answer to those dubiousness .
So after all that - was it anygood ?
A few thing did put out me about the film . First , Danny Elfman ’s score , while exceedingly grim and beautiful , felt retrograde . I could easily associate main part of the soundtrack with other motion picture he has scored and none of the Sung dynasty particularly stuck out in my mind .
second , anyone bear the extra money to watchAlice in Wonderlandin three-D hoping to have a alike 3D experience as they did withAvatarwill be sorely disappointed . While I did n’t loveAvatar , I did find myself revalue what Cameron had done with the delicately be after out 3D filming physical process - as react to the itinerary Burton choose of converting the film to 3D in post - yield . There is a gravid difference in how it is used , and in my opinion miserly frame , closelipped - up head shaft should never be shoot in 3D. However , the large all-encompassing chassis scenery shooting look bully .
in the end , the 3-D go to affect inAlice in Wonderlandand sure 3D character of the film , such as Alice come down the hare hollow , are wholly unwatchable . The digital force Guy befuddle so much debris towards the audience and Burton film the vista so shut down up that everything blurs together in a mass of unintelligible imagery . I hope that other studios are taking musical note of this and realize that if they must make a 3D celluloid , then it require to be done during the shooting summons and not done as an afterthought .
As a straightaway side note – during the Hatter ’s Futterwacken Dance , I quickly recognize the limber leg skills of David “ Elsewhere ” Bernal . A untested guy cable that became an internet phenomenon several years ago before the Book “ viral ” was even associated with You Tube . you could check out his famous video HERE .
Overall , the narration forAlice in Wonderlandwas great , and although it may be a tad too dark and Burton - esque for children under 9 , it ’s sure to impress fans of the fairytale musical genre . Alice in Wonderlandthe 3D experience , however , is not worth the extra money . If you desire to go see this , I recommend you keep an eye on the regular previous 2D version .
Based on the stories of Lewis Caroll , Alice in Wonderland follows the adventure of a young girl after she finds herself in a witching public . She finds Wonderland colorful and enchanting , but it ’s dangerous , too : Alice apace fall afoul of the Red Queen , who has a preoccupation with decapitation . With the help of her new friends , the sore Hatter , the Cheshire Cat , and the White Rabbit , Alice must use her head to find her way home .
