Mythology from whimsy

Rating: 5/10 (11 August 2010)

This version of the story really isn't a version but a continuation with the same title. However, this continuation treats Wonderland in a totally different light, with elements of Carroll's works thrown together into a mythology of Wonderland. Depending on what one liked about the original story, a viewer would either enjoy the new perspective or be incredibly offended.
In the first place, two things are apparent: there are lots of special effects, and there is a lot of screen time for Johnny Depp. The effects are nice enough, in keeping with the level of quality of contemporary movies. It's better than average, although the color design seems drab. Depp doesn't display a good feel for the role, strangely enough. Maybe it's because we've seen too much of him and we can hear a bit of Jack Sparrow here, a trace of Willy Wonka there, but very little Chocolat anywhere. It's another Tim Burton movie for Depp.
The story takes the whimsy of the original and creates a mythology from it. In this way, it becomes another Hollywood effort to turn an older and respected story into a sword and sorcery epic. In this case, the epic doesn't have the juice, since it squeezed all the satire out of the original and used the superficial husk that was left. The familiar whimsical elements are treated too seriously and fail to be entertaining. The story drags on too long and begins to look just like any other special effects movie, complete with roaring monsters, last-minute escapes and a chorus of women singing some unrecognizable words at a climactic moment.
On a personal note, I can't fathom that the filmmakers didn't get the name of the beast - the Jabberwock. It's mentioned several times in the original poem, which they chopped up for no reason. The name of the poem in the original is clearly "Jabberwocky" but at no time is that considered to be the name of the beast itself, until this movie. As one of those poor young men who took the time to memorize the poem for his own amusement, I'm personally offended at the carelessness in weaving these components from the original work.
Overall, it's an unworthy contribution to the name of Wonderland. If you never liked Wonderland, you may like this more than I did.