I simply could not help myself. This is the newest addition to the collection and it just so happened to be the choice of "Family Movie" last night.
First of all, I must admit that I absolutely adore anything Tim Burton! He would have to be my favourite filmmaker.
This version of Alice In Wonderland is a very interesting re-telling of the story because it is in fact a sequel. The film focuses on Alice's return to Wonderland after 13 or so years. Wonderland is in a state of ruin, it's inhabitants being terrorised by armoured cards, ferocious creatures, and the Red Queen. After tumbling down the rabbit hole, Alice learns that she is the chosen champion who must triumph over the evils of the Red Queen and restore peace in Wonderland. The story revolves around the journey that Alice embarks upon to change her from being uncertain about her future to being utterly decided.
Of course no Alice In Wonderland review would be complete without drawing attention to the spectacular cast line-up.
The Mad Hatter is played by Johnny Depp, and I do have to say that he made the character all his own. The Hatter is a character that has been played time and time again, being spontaneous and easily distracted. Johnny takes these character traits even further by using interesting voice volumes and accents to indicate severe mood swings. A character who is certain about being uncertain, Johnny's Mad Hatter is an absolute delight to watch.
Helena Bonham Carter plays the Red Queen.... simply brilliant! I'm sure she must have suffered numerous sore throats during the filming of the movie, but pain is temporary, film is forever. I do have to say that the Red Queen has to be one of my favourite villains and watching Helena barking orders and death sentences was nothing short of fantastic fun. Although she had to suffer blue eye-makeup, billowing dresses, and a hair-do you could see from space, she brought something to the Red Queen which I don't think has been done before. Helena's Red Queen was one which you could understand, she wasn't violent for the sake of being violent. Just like Alice and the Hatter, she was uncertain. I won't say anymore for fear of spoiling everything, but I will say that this Red Queen is a classic Disney villain.
Mia Wasikowska who plays Alice is lovely. Having an ethereal beauty about her, she brings a certain defiance and determination to the character of Alice. After being shrunk, stretched, scratched and stuffed into a teapot, she still manages to keep her head. She may have had to wear outrageous costumes, but she wore them with grace and dignity. Good for you Mia!
Packed to bursting with other names such as Anne Hathaway, Matt Lucas, Crispin Glover, Timothy Spall, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Imelda Staunton, and more, Alice in Wonderland is a wonderful journey filled with action, adventure, fantastic special effects, fantasy, and the Futterwacken. It can get a bit violent so I would not recommend it for very small children, but as a family movie, people of all ages will get something out of it.
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