‘Alice’ update short on Tim Burton magic
When I first learned that Tim Burton would be directing an
updated version of
”
Alice in Wonderland,
”
for Disney, in 3-D, I thought he was the perfect fit for it.
After all, who else could deliver an even more over-the-top version
of Wonderland than Disney animators did with the original cartoon
in 1951. Burton, after all, created Halloween Town in
”
The Nightmare Before Christmas,
”
Edward in
”
Edward Scissorhands
”
and made the more than a little disturbing film version of the
musical
”
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
”
‘Alice’ update short on Tim Burton magic
When I first learned that Tim Burton would be directing an updated version of “Alice in Wonderland,” for Disney, in 3-D, I thought he was the perfect fit for it. After all, who else could deliver an even more over-the-top version of Wonderland than Disney animators did with the original cartoon in 1951. Burton, after all, created Halloween Town in “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Edward in “Edward Scissorhands” and made the more than a little disturbing film version of the musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”
So it’s fair to say I had high expectations of his latest endeavor, especially since I knew he would be pairing up with Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp once again. It seems as though a lot of other people had high expectations for it, too, since I saw it at a sold out theater in which the row in front of me was full of teenagers dressed as various characters from the story.
In this updated version of “Alice in Wonderland,” Alice Kingsley (Mia Wasikowska) is all grown up and about to get engaged to a man she doesn’t particularly like. When she was a child, she had nightmares of falling down a rabbit hole and her father comforted her by telling her she could pinch herself awake. But when Alice takes a minute to gather her thoughts at what turns out to be her own engagement party, she stumbles back down that rabbit hole.
When she gets to Wonderland, she is greeted by the white rabbit (voiced by Michael Sheen), the dormouse (Barbara Windsor) and Tweddledee and Tweddledum (Matt Lucas.) They are concerned that Alice is not the right Alice. It seems they have been awaiting the return of the Alice who visited as a young girl who is foretold to be a savior of sorts. The Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) has taken the power of the crown and she keeps it by force since she has control of a Jabberwocky as well as other violent creatures. The White Queen (Anne Hathaway) can’t do anything to fight her older sister since she has taken a vow not to harm a living being.
The tale as written by screenwriter Linda Wolverton has many echoes of the original story as Alice visits the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the Blue Caterpillar (Alan Rickman) and all the other players who are familiar. Though Johnny Depp is usually right on with over the top performances (think of his Jack Sparrow and Crybaby), there was something a little lacking in his Hatter. The crazy make-up, and movements were there, but most of his dialogue just seemed a little understand. He didn’t seem mad so much as sad. He does his part, however, in making Alice realize she has lost a little bit of what she had when she was a kid. The Hatter calls it her “muchness.” Here in the real world, we might call it her moxie.
When the Hatter is captured trying to help her, Alice regains that bravery and decides that she will save him even if it means heading straight into danger at the Red Queen’s castle. Helena Bonham Carter is the one major treat in the film as the Red Queen. The Red Queen has a bulbous head, and that is the root of all her anger. Her sister the White Queen is a beauty whom everyone loves. But the Red Queen is so worried that people will not like her, that she surrounds herself with ugly people and uses force to make people spend time with her. She has even injured her king (Crispin Glover) and made him less than whole because of her fear that he would leave her otherwise. Carter shows just enough vulnerability in her Red Queen to almost make one feel just a little sorry for her.
The role of Alice is Mia Wasikowska’s first leading role and she does a decent job of it. She seemed familiar on the screen, and I realized why when I looked at her film history. She started as Sophie on the HBO show “In Treatment.” She played a teenage gymnast who has tried to commit suicide and she holds her own face to face with Gabriel Byrne. Here, however, the character seems to be a little lacking and I think it perhaps have to do with the role of Alice needing a little more depth than Wasikowska was given to work with.
The movie was a bit slow moving and the 3-D elements were not that noticeable, especially in light of the technology used in “Avatar.” It is worth a watch for fans of the “Alice in Wonderland” story, but for others it’s one to skip.
Melissa Flores can be reached at [email protected]. Read her take on the Oscar winners and Cinequest online at http://melissa-movielines.blogspot.com.
