Visually Appealing, But With A Lackluster Plot

Rating: 7/10 (5 March 2010)

Some will be disappointed by Burton's attempt at Wonderland, while others will simply be satisfied by it's simple charm and wondrous visuals. I am in the latter category. While others may have been taken in immensely by this rendition, I was not one who got terribly excited about the film. My expectations were somewhat low, as Burton hasn't quite delivered on a few of his more recent excursions. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how entertained I was with the film, particularly in the lead, someone new to me who I quite enjoyed.
Certainly, it should come as no surprise that the new Alice looks great. There are a many wonderful things to see. I did, however, take issue with a few scenes that looked a little too animated. It made me wonder if this could have been a 3D animation as opposed to a live action that was quite heavy on the special fx. But, the problem evaporates quickly as the film progresses. Burton's typical goth style is in play here, with a Wonderland that is decaying from being abused by the Queen of Hearts. Adding to the visual scenery are several enjoyable characters, most notably Depp and Carter, playing the Madd Hatter and the Queen of Hearts respectively, but this world is full of wonderful characters, from the white rabbit to the march hare to tweedle dee and tweedle dumb. It's a great assortment of characters every bit as wonderful as one would remember them.
Unfortunately, the film is not much more memorable than its performances and scenery. The plot is very much straight forward and all emotional cues are obvious and unmoving. There is a humanity here, but you simply don't care much. In fact, I found the Red Queen, despite her vicious, child like behavior, to be the most relatable. There is a certain sadness, though she is quite mad, and in a way you feel sorry for her. Most other characters, even Alice, are fairly ordinary and there's not a lot of gray to them. It's almost as if they are a little too likable for their own good. Which is a real shame, because Wonderland is such a wonderful place.
This is certainly not a huge comeback for Burton. Just another in a long line of okay films that pale in comparison to his past days of Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, and Ed Wood. Burton should really be doing more projects like those, where he added a touch of his own dark originality, even to an already told story. If he doesn't start treading some unfamiliar territory, his best days may just be behind him.