Filmikaze!

By: Tim Burton (director), Linda Woolverton (screenplay), Lewis Carroll (books)

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, Barbara Windsor, Paul Whitehouse, Timothy Spall

19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.

One thing I love about Tim Burton’s films is that even if the story doesn’t particularly appeal to me, I know they’re going to be visually stunning in a singular way. His take on Alice in Wonderland is no exception, filled with lush visuals that do an exemplary job of interpreting Carroll’s vision without overpowering it. More’s the pity that the producers chose to stray from the original story and into a plot both convoluted and forgettable.

Now 19, iconic Alice finds herself back in Wonderland and destined to overthrow the Red Queen. Her adventure takes her through a combination of events that are both new and lifted from the original text: she goes through the drink me/eat me scenario several times, talks to the Caterpillar, makes friends with the Bandersnatch. The result of this merging of old and new is that the power and whimsy of the original story is mostly lost in a flurry of cliches and regurgitation: it’s neither original nor particularly nostalgic. Whether due to general lack of experience or having to work with a blue screen, Mia Wasikowska makes for a thoroughly unconvincing heroine, looking more like she’s bored half the time than filled with the surprise and curiosity she claims. Her chemistry with Johnny Depp was strained with an oddly sexual undercurrent (Although my husband swears I’m imagining that last; could just be that’s everyone’s reaction to Johnny Depp), and while I thought it was fabulous that Alice was elevated from headstrong little girl to bad ass young woman as a concept, I found it difficult to give a shit in practice.

There were good things to be found, though, not the least of which was Helena Bonham Carter’s flawless performance as the Red Queen. She fully claimed this character for her own and did a phenomenal job of anchoring the production. Also memorable and delightfully well done were the Cheshire Cat (voiced by Stephen Fry), Tweedledee and Tweedledum (voiced by Matt Lucas), and my favorite, the March Hare (voiced by Paul Whitehouse). In fact, the March Hare was more entertaining than Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter, who felt a bit under-developed and contrived.

Predictably, the movie was filled with the glorious little details and well-executed design elements that Burton excels at, and for that reason alone it’s worth a watch. It’s gorgeous to look at, and there are moments that are genuinely fun. The story, though, needs a lot of work, and keeps the film from reaching its potential.