'Alice In Wonderland' Review

Johnny Depp, Mia Kasikowska, and Anne Hathaway in Tim Burton's Alice. Watch the preview:
http://www.moviefone.com/movie/alice-in-wonderland/33073/main

There's been several film & TV versions of the Lewis Carroll classic. I don't have a favorite one and I doubt this version will be it. This is not to say Tim Burton's adaptation is bad. Actually it's pretty good if you're not expecting it to be faithful to the book. It's also pretty good as a movie on its own and a treat for the eyes. Alice was originally shot in 2-D and converted to 3-D. Not filming it in 3-D like Avatar was probably a good idea because the special effects here are minimal and don't distract from the glorious costumes and sets. There's enough depth of vision in most scenes to satisfy anyone's craving for 3-D. If you remember owning a Viewmaster as a kid and were amazed by its optical effect, the visuals here will bring back pleasant memories.

>>Since Johnny Depp is the star with above the title billing, his character is built up to give equal time to Alice played by Mia Wasikowska who reminds me of a younger Uma Thurman. In this version she's older but that's explained later and the plot also works in the Jabberwocky from another Carroll work. As one reviewer explained, if children are going to use the movie as the basis for a book report instead of reading it, they should expect a failing grade. The story has a feminist slant but that shouldn't bother the guys.
>>Depp is as good as usual and the rest of the actors follow his lead in keeping with the story book/fairy tale quality of the film. Helena Bonham Carter as the evil Red Queen is marvelous too. Her every explosive gesture and expression is just right as the counterpoint to Anne Hathaway's cool White Queen. Danny Elfman, Burton's usual composer, offers the proper music for this kind of movie. You'll marvel at the floating antics of the Cheshire Cat voiced by Stephen Fry and you'll easily recognize Alan Rickman from the Harry Potter films as the Caterpillar.

>>This delightful movie is a monster hit that exceeded the filmmakers' expectations. No matter your age and even if you don't care for this kind of movie, you will be soon won over by its charm, sense of wonder, and humor.