Newcomer shines in Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland
Posted Mar 18, 2010 By Mark Haskins
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Tweet ThisMOVIE: Alice in Wonderland
STARRING: Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helene Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway
DIRECTOR: Tim Burton
RATING: PG
EMC Lifestyle - If you've read Lewis Carroll's books then you know they don't make sense. They aren't supposed to. They're the greatest examples of nonsense literature ever written. I think that's why Tim Burton's re-imagining works. Most of his films don't make sense either.
Wonderland is in a terrible state. The Red Queen (Helene Bonham Carter) has used the Jabberwocky (Christopher Lee) to dethrone her sister the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). Now everyone lives in fear of losing their heads.
The White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Matt Lucas), the Dormouse (Barbara Windsor), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) and the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) have been looking for the one destined to save them, Alice (Mia Wasikowska).
Alice is no longer the little girl who visited Wonderland in her dreams. She's grown up, and found people are expecting a lot of her. Not the least of which is an undesirable arranged marriage to Lord Hamish (Leo Bill). It's at her surprise engagement party that she sees the White Rabbit, and decides to make a run for it.
She's soon falling back down the rabbit hole into the strange world of Wonderland. Here too people expect a lot of her. It's been foretold Alice will slay the Jabberwocky, but Alice has no intention of slaying anyone. In fact Alice doesn't remember being in Wonderland. Of course none of that will stop the Red Queen and her Knave Stayne (Crispin Glover) from hunting her down.
Alice must make a choice. She can believe it's all a dream or she can take up the Vorpal Sword and face the challenge before her. The fate of Wonderland depends on her choice.
Burton's films are always visually stunning, but the stories fall apart under close examination. This is true of Alice in Wonderland.
Lewis Carroll's world and characters have never looked this good or this surreal. It truly was like looking in on the most magnificent of dreams. The story doesn't go beyond the superficial, but it was more coherent than I thought it would be. It's a whimsical adventure that's not meant to be thought too much about.
Johnny Depp is fantastic as the Mad Hatter. He's brilliant in the manic and outrageous moments, but you see his real talent in the quiet moments. It's there you see the power of his emotions.
I was quite taken with newcomer Mia Wasikowska. She is surrounded by some very impressive stars, but she shines just as brightly to be the perfect Alice.
The rest of the cast members are outstanding. Helena Bonham Carter is cruel, vicious, and just childish enough to make it work. Anne Hathaway is the perfect image of grace, beauty and surreal goodness. Crispin Glover rounds out the live actors with a fiendishly good performance as the Red Knave.
Alice in Wonderland is an absurd film. Just as it was meant to be.
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