Opening Day: 4 March 2010

Synopsis:

From Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton comes an epic 3D fantasy adventure ALICE IN WONDERLAND, a magical and imaginative twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time.  JOHNNY DEPP stars as the Mad Hatter and MIA WASIKOWSKA as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends:  the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter.  Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.

Movie Review:

We hate to generalise, but we are assuming that the Alice (you know, the one who went to Wonderland) most of our readers are familiar with is the yellow haired girl wearing a blue and white dress, from the 1951 Disney animated film. That was a traditional 1951 animated picture, and fast forward almost 60 years later, the visionary director Tim Burton presents us with another version of Alice who revisits Wonderland. The only difference is, Burton’s boldly audacious interpretation of Wonderland is one that will stay in your mind for a long time.

An extension of Lewis Carroll’s novels Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, this production has Alice, now a spunky and vocal young girl, escaping an engagement party, only to fall through a rabbit hole after spotting a white rabbit wearing a wasitcoat and pocket watch. She falls into a place called “Underland”, or more commonly known as “Wonderland”, and her adventures begin with the motley crew its weird inhabitants. Her main mission? To destroy a fierce dragon named Jabberwock owned by the villainous Red Queen.

Trust Burton to gather his long time collaborators Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. If you haven’t already seen the movie’s promotional materials, Depp’s disturbingly colourful make up as the Mad Hatter and Bonham Carter’s disturbingly big head are so out of this world, you’d be eager to see what other odd visions the filmmaker has to offer. And wow, would you be in a great ride. Check out the colourful landscapes of Wonderland, the blue smoking caterpillar, the adorably freaky twin midgets, the creepy disappearing Cheshire Cat, the valiant Dormouse, and the many other poor animals used by the evil Red Queen as furniture.

You’d expect nothing less, especially from the director who brought you Sweeny Todd: The Demon Braber of Fleet Street (2007) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

Combining live action and animation, Burton lives up to his name of being one of the innovative filmmakers of our time. Given the nature of this tale, Burton is also probably the perfect choice to bring the wondrous Wonderland on screen. Imagine experiencing the 108 minute adventure in amazing 3D – you can expect a visually thrilling ride that will prove to be nothing less than spectacular for the senses.

It is evident that Depp and Bonham Carter throughly enjoyed themselves playing their characters, especially the deliciously wicked portrayal of the Red Queen by Burton’s partner. There are also notable voice performances by Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Chistopher Lee and Timothy Spall. Anne Hathaway’s eccentrically dramatic turn as the White Queen should milk a few giggles as well. Newcomer Mia Wasikowska’s performance as Alice is overshawdowed by her more well known co stars, but her strong will and determined character comes through with scriptwriter Linda Woolverton’s screenplay.

It is no wonder then, considering her previous works include other Disney favourites like Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Mulan (1998). Maybe it is because of the need to please Disney fans, there is this awkward sense of something amiss in this movie. As you walk out of the theatre, we are guaranteeing you that the visuals will stay with you, but the emotional connection with the characers may not be that strong. There are attempts to have viewers feel for the characters, through more heartfelt scenes with Depp and Wasikowska, but these setups are nothing groundbreaking when compared to the other Hollywood movies out there.

Either that, or it is Depp’s disturbingly colourful hair and eye shadow causing the distraction. We just cannot get our minds off Depp’s strange burnt orange hair, white foundation and yellowish green eye balls. And we are sure these images concocted by Burton’s ingenious creativity will stay with you for quite some time too.

Movie Rating:



(We guarantee you a trippy experience through Wonderland - Live the adventure in amazing 3D for an even trippier effect)

Review by John Li