Okay entertainment; doesn't do much wrong, but doesn't do a lot right either.

Rating: 7/10 (17 May 2010)

Okay, maybe I should check myself on that last statement. Visually, the film is quite impressive. The many different elements of Wonderland are wonderfully constructed, both with the CGI and the production design. Burton's always had a knack for creating visually interesting and imaginative movies, and you get that again here.
The cast mostly acquits themselves. We've come to expect Johnny Depp to play weird/out there roles, so his performance as the Mad Hatter is enjoyably nutty. And Helena Bonham Carter (another Burton regular) is quite good shifting from being villainous to darkly comical as the Red Queen.
What never really takes flight, however, is the story. While I was watching the film, I couldn't help but feel that Disney was telling Tim Burton what to do the whole time. When he's at his best ("Ed Wood," "Big Fish," "Sweeney Todd"), he can mix a bizarre and visually unique world with a close to home emotional journey with well-developed characters. Here, he has the world, but the story seems to be checking the plot points instead of taking on a journey of its own. Too often, Alice circles around her belief that "it's just a dream" while we, the audience, know otherwise. And speaking of Alice, while actress Mia Wasikowska sometimes shows the plucky courage necessary for the role, there are also moments where she is too stiff in her body language or underplays the scene that surrounds her.
Overall, I can only marginally recommend "Alice in Wonderland." The sets and CGI are top-notch, and some of the actors do well with their roles. But the story needs more life breathed into it and it needs to feel more organic rather than "been here, done that."