Horror movie for ten year olds?

Rating: 5/10 (18 February 2011)

Recap: Stunned by the news that she is going to be proposed to, by a man with good standing but not of her liking at all, no less. Alice flees, following a white rabbit, and tumbles down a hole. There an very odd and peculiar, not to say dangerous, adventure awaits her. She tumbles into Wonderland, where a conflict rages between the Red Queen, a ruthless dictator currently in power, and the White Queen. And between them lands Alice, she is foretold to be the one that slays the Jabberwocky, a monster and the Red Queens most fearsome weapon. Therefore Alice is much sought after, by both sides. But how can she save Wonderland when she keeps believing it's just a dream
Comments: Now, I have never read the books, or that I can remember, seen any of the previous movies. But from some of the comments I infer that Tim Burton has made quite a big input to the story, so that it does not stay true to the original books. Tim Burton's movie does not, unfortunately, make me want to read more of it though.
Listed as a Family movie, I would not let any young children watch it, not alone anyway. Tumbling down the rabbit hole with Alice is like stepping into a world painted by Dali. It's very spectacular, the effects are many times just stunning, Burton is certainly very creative and inventive. But quite often, it is just disturbing. Well, it could be that I am a grown up and don't "get it". But I felt it being quite a dark and scary movie, especially if it's intended for a younger audience. Perhaps that is the best way of describing it, a horror movie for a ten year old.
As it should be, most of the characters are odd. Some more hilarious, some more in a mad scary way. Depp does a good Mad Hatter that falls somewhere in between. Otherwise I grew quite fond of Mia Wasikowska. Both in character and actress she was the beacon of light and reason. I also usually like Anne Hathaway, but cast here as the White Queen, it was a character that really didn't fit her. It is a far too passive character for her, and the pale appearance didn't do her justice either. I'm glad to have seen it, I can say that. The effects and the imaginative story are well worth the time. But having seen it once, I won't see it again.
5 rugged top hats out of 10.