Tim Burton's Alice is a Visual Masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (7 March 2010)

Let me start off here... Tim Burton's Alice could have been a true classic, but instead it is just a good, sometimes very good, visually- amazing film. I do get the mixed reviews, since it is FAR from perfect. First off, I thought the first 10 minutes with Alice in the family gathering in the garden was truly dull and mediocre. I was thinking if this was the way the whole film was going to be I would hate it. Thankfully, once she steps into the rabbit hole, it went uphill. We visit Tim Burton's reimagining of Wonderland, or in this case, Underland. It is amazing. The colors, the artistic settings and the extraordinary costumes, make-up, and visual effects make this a true enchanting place. The film also has some really good scenes, most notably the scene where she is trying to open the small door when she first gets in, and her meeting with the Mad Hatter at his dinner table. Scenes like those really make this a magical film, and for the first 2/3 of her stay in Underland, it is really good, but it then starts to get a bit messy with the plot of her having to finally slay the dragon. I thought the final battle sequence, although visually amazing, was so dull and lost my complete interest. Tim Burton had said that since he had never been emotionally connected with the original plot-less structure of the book and Disney film, he wanted to make this film have an actual purpose, which I think is it's downfall, not only because the actual plot turns out to be so clichéd, but because what I think made the original so great is how it has no clear plot and Alice goes wandering from place to place in Wonderland. The performances are great. Mia Wasikowska really holds her own, while Johnny Depp is also surprisingly tolerable as the Mad Hatter. But I think Helena Bonham Carter once again upstages Depp (the first time being in Sweeney Todd) and created a very memorable and funny Red Queen. I thought she was wonderful.
Overall, the film is not the masterpiece it could have been, but its not as bad as some say it is. I did enjoy it for the most part, and the performances and the vibrant world Burton has created demands a view, if just for the amazing visuals. I really hope this is a frontrunner for the Make-Up, Costumes, and Art Direction Oscars next year.