Visually astounding story of Alice at 19 developing into a champion and liberator of oppressed multitudes

Rating: 10/10 (31 March 2010)

A worthy successor to the original book about the younger Alice, with original additions (such as proper names for animals and people unnamed in Lewis Carroll's book) that actually serve to enhance the mysterious atmosphere that permeates Underland (one of the felicitous, punny new terms). The time allotted for developing the minor characters did not detract from the furtherance of the plot but rather enriched the film and gave it more depth. They have just as much charm as those in the book the film takes off from. The pumping-up of minor characters such as Tweedledum and Tweedledee and the Dormouse (who also gets a name in this film), as well as the enhanced role of the Cheshire Cat, give more colors to the tapestry--although some loved characters, such as the White Knight, are missing. The added characters, such as the stuffy, beaky lordlet proposing to Alice in the London portions and the Knave of Hearts who toadies to the Red Queen, add to the landscape more-believable opponents for Alice to shake off in her quest to free the captives of an evil regime. The actors are all high-level. The comradely bond between Alice and the Mad Hatter grows slowly and organically, with exquisite timing for the various threats they face as they help one another. At one point near the end, the loving sideways look the Hatter casts at Alice is a masterpiece combination of kindness, pity, doubt, fear, and affection never seen before in one face at one time. Adding the Knave as his counterfoil works well, giving another source of conflict as a subtext. The way Alice stands up to him is superb. The acting overall seems neither too subdued nor overdone. Aspects of the film that could have been improved: Some of the special effects went by too fast to grasp; we are not given a long-enough look at the wondrously set long table of the Mad Hatter's tea party; and some of the dialog, especially including the unfamiliar proper names, speeds by too quickly for clear comprehension. I would also quibble with the inconsistency in the resizing (or not) of Alice's clothing as she shrinks and as she shoots up tall. Overall, the set designs are in harmony with the combination of reality and fantasy that it is the goal of the film to portray. The multiple-hat-making session, the antics of the Dormouse, and several other scenes are laugh-out-loud amusing. The costuming is imaginative, varied, and often stunning, crying out for a major film award (especially note the scene in which the Mad Hatter is furiously making hats). The musical score enhances the dramatic experience at every turn, especially during the persecution and chase scenes. At some times it is too loud and overwhelming. But overall, it is magnificent, and it especially propels and undergirds the story as the film nears its climax The original book centered on a fantastical experience in another world for its own sake. This film, centered on an almost-adult teenager in a repressive society, is more a story of Alice's character development. Her inner journey from reflexive fear reactions to determined, courageous fighting against evil in some ways evokes the Bildungsroman genre. This film is ideal for taking girls from seven to any age of adult to see, especially those who are facing difficulties that tend to seem overwhelming to them. The film shines at building up a credible development of Alice's character as she succeeds in overcoming one after another of ever more daunting and seemingly impossible opponents, roadblocks, and limitations. After seeing a movie like this, it is hard not to emerge both euphoric and equal to any challenge.