March 5th 2010
Rated: PG
In the light of 'Alice In Wonderland' grossing $1 billion I felt compelled to re-watch the film again but this time on DVD. Unfortunately I never got the opportunity to watch the film in 3-D just the now- old fashioned 2-D. The first time I watched the film in the cinema I've got to say I was disappointed. Maybe I missed something the first time I watched the film. I think I speak for a lot of us when I rejoiced at the thought of Tim Burton making 'Alice in Wonderland' a film that seemed so perfect for the slightly mad director. On top of a fantastic director we had one of the most versatile and fun actors in the business- Mr Johnny Depp.
Unfortunately however I was disappointed yet again. It has many good points but then many flaws- the latter becoming more apparent on a second viewing. I persisted however hoping that it would turn itself around and I would be proven wrong- I wasn't.
The film as a whole was- I felt, boring. It wasn't a fun roller coaster ride I was hoping for, it was magical yes- but not as magical as I hoped. Throughout it felt like Tim Burton was trying to get a message across to the audience- an important message, yet it felt a film like this didn't need to have a message, it needed to be light-hearted, yet sinister. It needed to be bright, colourful and dull all at the same time- most importantly it needed to be fun I know these are contradicting statements but for those who have already seen this film- they may know what I'm trying to get at. I've never read the book- so perhaps Burton was right on the money with the colour palette? any feedback on this matter would be appreciated- maybe shed some light. The A-list cast who provided the voices are perfect- Alan Rickman even in a caterpillar form is fantastic and reminiscent of Professor Snape from the Harry Potter series. Matt Lucas was surprisingly funny and amusing as Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-Dee. The Red Queen- played by Burton's wife- Helena Bonham Carter slightly grated on me and her scenes could be amusing and then again would be dull- there was no consistency. Previously mentioned in various other reviews is Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter who was almost flawless. Up until he employs a Scottish accent when he is angry. It seemed pointless and most of all annoying. Mia Wasikowska who plays Alice looks the part but sadly seems out of her depth- the character didn't have the same vulnerability as other Alice's and she was very wooden. An honorable mention goes to Stephen Fry's Cheshire Cat- cute and menacing at the same time and his voice was made for that part.
The visual look was easy on the eyes and is wonderfully crafted. The set pieces give the film much needed personality. I'm curious as to how it would have looked in 3-D. There are so many sets that it's hard to mention one that stood out, the poster says it all. Lots of crooked trees and fog.
Considering it was rated a PG many children may be scared- its quite menacing and sinister. Surely borderline 12A? If your children are easily scared maybe stray from this film- it may stay with them long after the credits roll.
VERDICT
The film made $1 billion and surely this is down to inflation. This isn't Tim Burton's or Johnny Depp's master piece and there's no denying the chemistry they both share. Boring in places- but aesthetically it is a visual treat. I tried hard to like it the second time- but failed. It will appeal to the twisted side of a person, but this isn't the 'ultimate' 'Alice in wonderland'
2/5 (very close to a 3)
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