Once upon a time, there was a director named Tim Burton.  Everything he touched turned to gold.  And then he made Charlie and the Chocolate Factory…

Alright, we’ll skip the dramatic introduction for now.  I’m generally a fan of Burton’s work, but lately have felt like it’s almost getting stale.  We know we’re going to get some sort of gothic inspired feel to any film he has a hand in; therefore, I was highly skeptical going into Alice in Wonderland.  I’ve seen a gothic take on the story before, a la Rogue Entertainment’s 2000 video game, American McGee’s Alice. For me, American McGee was spot on, as Alice was perfection – the story didn’t need another creepy or gothic inspired remake.  However, the diehard Alice in Wonderland fan in me had me seeing Tim Burton’s latest remake, in 3D no less, on opening night.

Before we delve into this further, I should mention that I’m a HUGE Alice in Wonderland fan.  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of my favorite books, so much so that my college application essays were based on it.  However, I do enjoy seeing adaptations of the series, and this 2010 remake was no exception.

Burton’s Alice, like most films carrying the name, doesn’t follow the original tale penned by Lewis Carroll, but mixes elements from the books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking Glass.  The film is obviously made for people who have a loose understanding of the story from watching Disney’s animated take from 1951, as several references are made to events that happened in that film.  This updated remake almost feels more as if it’s a loose sequel to the Disney predecessor instead of its own separate story, as Alice is now 19, and is haunted by strange images of a reoccurring nightmare from her youth.  Her journey begins at what is to be her engagement party, except she ends up falling down a rabbit hole instead.  I wonder how often THAT excuse works…

What I Did Like:

The Queen of Hearts: The characters of the Queen of Hearts (from the first book) and the Red Queen (from the second book) have been combined to form Helena Bonham Carter.  For me, she stole the show, as I was particularly impressed with her ability to fuse the personalities of both characters so well.  Her abrasive, yet almost engaging personality made her an interesting character that you almost want to like.

The Setting: As I mentioned, I was skeptical of Burton’s vision of Wonderland.  I half expected the setting to resemble something closer to The Nightmare Before Christmas or Beetlejuice, and was pleasantly surprised.  Burton was able to mold a gothic inspired world without sacrificing the vibrant colors or the innocence which made the book so great.  I particularly enjoyed his vision of the Queen of Hearts’s castle – imaginative and exactly what I’d expect someone with such a large…ego to call home.

The Nod to Victorian Society: Without turning this into a book versus movie literary analysis, I was pleased that mention was made to social standards in Victorian society.  The main reason I love Lewis Carroll’s tale is because of its satirical look on Victorian society, told through the eyes of a little girl.  Bravo to the writing team for keeping part of what I love of the story intact, and for giving Alice’s character the “muchness” to rise above it.

Incorporation of the Book: Even if the screenplay didn’t follow the book’s story, I do give credit to the writers for incorporating some of Lewis Carroll’s rhymes and riddles.  Carroll’s seemingly nonsensical ramblings are a hallmark of the book, and it was nice to see the Mad Hatter, Alice, and the Queen of Hearts stay true to form by uttering some of their most famous lines.

What I Wasn’t So Keen On:

The Story: The movie sort of felt as if the writers were trying to include every possible character that the general public would recognize – Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the March Hare, the Doormouse – all of which are important figures in the original story, however, none of them really played much of an important role in the film other than being familiar faces.  The story in itself is more reminiscent of elements presented in Through the Looking Glass; however, at times it felt as if the writers were in a hurry to get through the adventure.  Certain scenes, such as the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, almost felt mandatory and didn’t necessarily evoke any sort of emotion from me other than, “ok, it’s time for this to happen now.”

The CGI: Perhaps I’ve seen Star Wars one too many times and George Lucas has clouded my judgment, but there were a few spots in the film where the CGI felt rushed and just looked awkward.  Specifically anytime the Knave rode away on his horse, and when the Mad Hatter was freeing Alice from the teapot.

The Mad Hatter’s “Jig”: Mention was made to this earlier in the film, and I sort of brushed it off thinking it was the one “mark” that Tim Burton was going to leave on the Alice franchise.  Near the end of the movie, the Mad Hatter breaks out into this celebratory dance, which, for me, was embarrassing to watch.  It was so awful that I wanted to avert my eyes, and pretend that I wasn’t watching Johnny Depp make a fool of himself.  While Depp’s portrayal of the Mad Hatter was good, this one scene killed his entire performance for me.

Final Verdict:

Overall, the film was good for what it was.  As someone else put it, a movie like this is virtually critic proof, and will draw people to the box office regardless of the general critical perception of the film.  I wouldn’t say this is something you’d have to see in theaters, unless the 3D aspect of the film draws you in.  An aside about the 3D experience – I’ve seen plenty of recent films in 3D, since this whole craze caught on again.  Personally, I don’t find it really adds much to the film, other than a gimmick to get you to fork over four extra dollars for a movie ticket.  Sure, 3D is neat and all, but I’m of the opinion that one can get the same satisfying movie experience without having to shell out the extra cash.

If you’re a diehard Alice fan like me, go ahead and settle your curiosity by seeing this film in theaters.  However, everyone else?  You could probably wait to catch it at the dollar theater and feel like you haven’t really missed much.