Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

I have yet to see Walt Disney’s classic Alice in Wonderland. The only version of the movie I have seen is the 1999 made for television movie staring Whoopie Goldberg as Cheshire Cat and Martin Short as Mad Hatter. Both actors did exceptionally well as I found them strange and quite scary. It is the only film I can compare it with. I wasn’t keen on watching this film since it is just another Tim Burton and Johnny Depp team up  and frankly, I want to see Burton work with a new lead actor. My friends wanted to see it so I went into the cinema with an open mind.

Cinematography:
Visually, Tim Burton’s film  looks fantastic. I saw this is 2D because I believe 3D is a gimmick. The art directors and cinematographers are bound to be nominated for these categories for the next award show! However, I find the rest of the characters besides the queens, knave of hearts and mad hatter to look too much like a cartoon. You know there’s nothing to be afraid of because none of it looks real.

Story:
The most crucial part of the movie, the storyline fell flat. Nothing really happens. Alice goes meets the characters of wonderland who are saying “she doesn’t look like the old Alice”. It turns out this film showcases Alice’s second visit to Wonderland as a teenager. Wonderland has changed into a dark and gloomy place. Alice must defeat the menacing Jabberwocky to change Wonderland back to the way it was. And she does. Her fight with the monster reminds me of Prince Phillip’s duel with the evil fairy of Sleeping Beauty.

Actors:
Mia Wosikowska plays a very believable Alice. She’s intelligent, witty, and independent. A great female role model for children. Johnny Depp is a great actor as usual, although his version of the Mad Hatter can be related to a regular human being gone crazy. I prefer Martin Short’s crazy and fun and makes-no-sense Mad Hatter.

Conclusion:
From the movie posters I assumed this film was going to be dark and it wasn’t. It was humorous and at times corny. Since when does Burton do corny? This Disney film is beautiful to look at but after ten minutes you forget about the visual and focus on the story, which is sadly a disappointment.
2/5