Starring: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham-Carter, Crispin Glover, Alan Rickman, Matt Lucas. Stephen Fry.
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Tim Burton's movies are always an event and are not to missed as he bring the fantasy, mystical and down right weird to the big and small screen.
It's been two years since we last saw one of his creations, which came in the form of Sweeney Todd, as the maverick filmmaker once again teams up with Johnny Depp.
The musical was also the last time we saw the pair work together as Alice In Wonderland becomes their seventh project together.
Alice Kingsleigh (Wasikowska) is now 19 years old and destined to be married to a rich suitor. When she runs off into the grounds of a Victorian estate at a party thrown in her honour, she once again stumbles down a rabbit hole into the magical world she first discovered as a young girl.
But things have changed since Alice's last visit, with the Red Queen (Carter) having taken over 'Underland'.
It's up to Alice to slay the Jabberwock that guards her evil empire and restore peace. Help is at hand in the form of the White Rabbit (Sheen), Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Lucas), the Caterpillar (Rickman), the Cheshire Cat (Fry) and the Mad Hatter (Depp).
It has to be said that Tim Burton has become the master of CGI as Lewis Carroll's world through the rabbit hole just jumps off the screen.
The movie is absolutely beautiful and it more than makes up for the movie's flaws. Sadly Alice In Wonderland is by no means Burton's best work it seems he spent so much time working on what the movie was going to look like he forgot about the script.
Lewis Carroll's novel is a story that we all know and love but Burton's re-telling of that story doesn't really work.
There is not really strong storyline in place as the movie seems to be a string of scenes that really are in no way linked.
Perhaps Burton would have achieved more success if he had stuck with the original story as the screenplay is the movie's major weakness.
But there are some great turns in the film led, as you would expect, by Johnny Depp who puts in another odd and off the wall performance that will bring a smile to your face.
Newcomer Mia Wasikowska is also very good, I predict a very bright future for the young actress, as she battles to tell what is real and what is a dream.
Helena Bonham Carter is on fine form as the Red Queen, and her head is just amazing! However Anne Hathaway is totally miscast and her performance, sorry to be you Hathaway fans, is nothing short of awful.
Alice In Wonderland is another great example of how Tim Burton movies can immerse us in another world as it truly is a very beautiful movie.
The film is more like a stream of consciousness than a structured movie and though it's not enough to leave you feeling disappointed it does leave you wondering what could have been.
Alice In Wonderland is packed with action, laughs as well as looking awesome that it really can't be missed. It can sit happily amongst Burton's other work despite not being his best.
Alice In Wonderland is out on DVD and Blu-Ray now.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland