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March 12, 2010
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Movie Reviewers, The Friday Flyer
Alice doesn’t live here anymore, or does she? The slightly demented, but triumphant Tim Burton has created a vibrant and colorful world of the absurd, all in magnificent 3D for "Alice in Wonderland." He teams for the seventh time with superstar Johnny Depp, a wacky Mad Hatter who resembles an Olympic snowboarder who stuck his finger in an electrical socket.
Gaining more inspiration from 60’s rock star Gracie Slick than Lewis Carroll, this sequel to the classic and bizarre children’s books is scripted by the incomparable Linda Woolverton (“Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast”). However, somehow it seems Woolverton has thrown some of her characteristic magic down a rabbit hole.
The spectacular 3D special effects are everything you’d expect from Burton. Actually, we never know what to expect from this guy. That said, his final product still registers an exceedingly high weird quotient, which we suppose is what we come to expect. And somehow, just filming in the English countryside adds its own layer of disorientation.
The story features 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) on the verge of engagement to a rich and stuffy English bloke named Hamish (of course). Since Alice was little, she has suffered from recurring nightmares about a wonderland of bizarre creatures. Her father reassured her they were only dreams . . . or maybe mind-altering narcotics. Well, not the last part. Now, Father is deceased and Alice is confused about her future and her sanity.
You know how that guy proposes in front of thousands at a basketball game? Well, the pompous Hamish pops the question at a fancy garden party in front of hundreds of guests. That’s enough to get Alice mad as a hatter, so off she goes to the secret garden. Then, as quick as you can say Mia Wasikowska, she’s gone back to the future.
As the Wizard of Alice enters Oz, uh, we mean this Wonderland, it all gets curiouser and curiouser. Alice begins to meet the usual suspects, such as the White Rabbit, the Tweedles (Dee and Dum), a Cheshire Cat and an opium-smoking caterpillar. They all ask if she is “The” Alice, kinda like we ask if it’s “The” Donald as in Trump, or Dick Cheney.
In no time, Alice finds herself late for a very important date. A Mad Hatter (Depp) is serving tea, but notices about Alice, “You used to be much more . . . muchier. You’ve lost your muchness.” Wow, we feel that way about ourselves all the time. Anyway, Alice still doesn’t get it. You’d think with all those recurring dreams, but oh well.
After this elongated intro, the fun is ready to begin. Alice will face evil henchmen, scary CGI created monsters and the Red Queen, played by Helena Bonham Carter, who is sufficiently crazed. The good White Queen is played by Anne Hathaway, who seems almost typecast, but never seems comfortable in this role. We’re still fans and enjoyed the movie for its entertainment value, but frankly we were less than thrilled.
Helena Bonham Carter is in her sixth film with real life partner Director Tim Burton, so you know she’s not playing with a full deck, either. She wondered how Burton would disfigure her this time as the the Mad Hatter describes her regrettably large head. She also displays a temper worse than Judge Judy.
“Alice in Wonderland” is 108 minutes and rated PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and for a smoking caterpillar. When you’re looking for the weird and the wonderful, you’ll not do much better than Burton and Depp. We thoroughly enjoyed the visual sensations, maybe a little too much. So, if you insist the scenes are a little too psychedelic or too trippy, we’d simply reply, “don’t hassle us man.”
Apparently, they mistakenly turned down Amanda Seyfried (“Mamma Mia”) for the lead role. Wasikowska is good, but she is no Dakota Fanning. The movie is certain to generate millions anyway, but unfortunately, the total is less than the sum of the parts. There’s sufficient action, but not many thrills. Lewis Carroll might have best described this storyline, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”
Ron’s Rating: C+ Leigh’s Rating: C
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