Well, I say 3D but the 3D in Alice in Wonderland isn’t the 3D as seen in Avatar. While Avatar was wholly filmed in 3D and is mightily impressive as a result, Alice In Wonderland was filmed in 2D and then converted after the effect. And it just isn’t the same, ending up looking shoddy and stuttering (as Michael Bay attests).
That’s disappointment number one, but there are a lot more with Alice In Wonderland.
I love Tim Burton, his style, and the distinct look and feel all of his films share. But it’s all a bit so-so on this occasion. The world (Underland not Wonderland) feels quite banal and uninspired. I just didn’t feel ensconced in the environment as I did with say, Edward Scissorhands or Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.
The characterization is good, however, with Alice working as an older version of the character from the Lewis Carroll book. Helena Bonham-Carter’s Red Queen is magnificent and has all the best lines, while Matt Lucas as both Tweedledee and Tweedledum roused laughs every time he was on the screen. And the Cheshire Cat, voiced by the always-great Stephen Fry was brought to life brilliantly.
Johnny Depp is good as the Mad Hatter, but good isn’t great. I just felt I’d seen it all before, with him seemingly combining Captain Jack and Willy Wonka to create a slightly bonkers, ginger-haired freak. And Anne Hathaway as the White Queen? Hmm, not so great, unfortunately.
Then we come to the story, which isn’t quite the original but which draws heavily from it. Alice In Wonderland has been portrayed so many times that I guess a different approach had to be taken with it, but the story didn’t grab me, and I nearly fell asleep during the dull middle section of the film.
Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland fails in almost every respect. The 3D is bad, the story boring, the jokes a little weak. The actors all do their best, but even that isn’t enough to drag this film up enough for me to recommend it.
