Alice in Wonderland (2010)

"Have I gone mad?"
"I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are."

Alice Kingsley (Wasikowska) does not fit into her world.  She has a vivid imagination, "I often think six impossible thoughts before breakfast," and often gets distracted by intriguing thoughts, which get her into trouble.  When she is offered an unexpected / unwanted proposal that everyone assumes she will accept, she runs away.  Chasing a white rabbit in a waist coat, she falls into a hole... and enters a new world.

In this world, Underland, she is known as "The Alice" and is an icon of hope.  The Red Queen (Carter) rules the land with an iron fist and uses an array of terrifying creatures to keep her choke hold on the lives of her subjects.  Her army of red playing cards and personal assassin, Stayne the Knave of Hearts (Glover), roam the country looking for the resistance.

The resistance hates the Red Queen and want to put her sister, the White Queen (Hathaway), back on the throne.  They are lead by a trio of "mad" people, including the Mad Hatter (Depp), and a wise old caterpillar with a prophecy about Alice.


I have to admit I was pretty stoked about this film... despite my unfamiliarity with the Lewis Carroll stories (I have read portions), I have always loved the story of Alice in Wonderland.  It is my favorite Disney film... and she is probably one of my favorite Disney characters.

I had expectations for the film, and over all I think director Tim Burton delivered.  The writers and Burton created an interesting world (I did not see the film in 3D), with a story that was familiar (they combined characters and storylines from both Alice stories: "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass") while still being new / interesting.

I liked the new Hatter character played by Johnny Depp.  He has the ability to disappear into roles, making them relevant and memorable.  So far I have yet to be unimpressed by his performances.  Physically, Depp's Hatter was a lot to take in... but they gave the character a personality and a backstory and made him a bigger part of the story.  The rest of the cast (including the voice talents) was great.  They were able to blend with their characters without making the audience go "oh, it's (insert name of actor/actress)" and stepping out of the story.

A captivating take on a familiar story.  Worth the price of admission!!

Alice in Wonderland (2010) 108 minutes
Rating: PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Mia Wasikowska as Alice
Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter
Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen
Anne Hathaway as The White Queen
Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts
Matt Lucas as Tweedledee / Tweedledum
Stephen Fry as Cheshire Cat
Michael Sheen as the White Rabbit
Alan Rickman as the Blue Caterpillar