Alice in Wonderland

First and foremost I would like to explain the lack of posting in the last month. I will be starting college in May, so getting that going has been interesting. Also my birthday was the 19^th of April and that derailed me a bit. Secondly I am not sure how much I will be able to post after college starts but I will try my best to be timely on them.

            Long overdue are my thoughts on Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Tim Burton is known for his neo-gothic, imaginative art style. Burton’s resume includes well known films such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Sleepy Hollow to name a few. This version of Alice is penned by Linda Woolverton. Woolverton may be known from her past works with Disney that includes Beauty and the Beast and co-writing The Lion King.

            The Film’s Cinematography is rather good, and the visuals are truly stunning. With the majority of the films landscapes being made with CGI it could have easily looked fake or even sub-par. The film is available in 3D, yet it is the horrible post conversion 3D, but that deserves its own post at a later day.  The directing is also not bad considering the story he was given to work with.

The Story is really the weak spot here. It is at times nonexistent, and the rest of the time it is boring. The story is so simplistic that it would be an insult to a child’s intelligence. Most if not all of the feel and heart of Lewis Carroll’s original story is absent. The script almost seems to be spit out of an automatic script generator on a website.

With such a lack of source to read from the acting is unsurprisingly terrible as well. The only bright spot is Helena Bonham Carter, who steals the show with her portrayal of The Red Queen. All other seem to walk through the film or worse just miss completely. One miss is that of Johnny Depp. With Depp being a proven actor it is sad to see him so off mark.

Depp’s problems start off with the script having him become the main character after he is introduced halfway through. This is Alice in Wonderland, not Mad Hatter in Wonderland. Also the character is over blown just so he will stand out. From make-up to costume, he screams “we tried too hard, look at me” Next is the voice Depp chose to use. It was constantly changing from Scottish highlander, to Sweeny Todd, to a strange mix of the two.

Sadly some actor’s parts were “Throw away” and others could have been played by a random street walker. Such are the parts of Alice and The White Queen. I feel sorry for Mia Wasikowska because she has talent but was given a second hand script to work with. Too bad this had to be her big break. The White Queen is played by Anne Hathaway. Why she even took the part is beyond me. The character could have been taken out of the story and it would still feel the same.

This movie is worth seeing if you have the money and are a fan of Burtons, but do not watch it in 3D. Save your money on the standard version if you can. Alice in Wonderland has completely stunning visuals but not much else. I recommend waiting to rent this or even wait for TV.