Left me grinning like the Cheshire Cat

Rating: 9/10 (3 April 2010)

After going to see Alice in Wonderland for the second time yesterday, I must admit I am shocked by the amount of bad reviews it has been getting. I have to say, I wasn't overly eager to see this film, I thought it was going to be another one of those very Disney, sugar-coated movies. I was wrong. This version of Alice in Wonderland has a darker, funnier side that can only be expected from Tim Burton that made the whole movie thoroughly enjoyable.
The plot is admittedly simple, but very effective, Alice, who is now 19, returns to Wonderland after a proposal from a vile ginger. She then meets up with some familiar faces who tell her that the Red Queen has taken over Underland (as it is actually called). Alice must stop the Red Queen's reign of terror and regain her 'muchness'.
While the plot was a little lacking, it was made up with the absolutely superb acting of some A-list names. Johnny Depp- Let me make one thing clear. I am NOT a Johnny Depp fan. I don't automatically love any movie he's in, just because he's in it. This was the only movie that I absolutely adored him in. He played the Mad Hatter perfectly and he just absolutely made this movie for me. Depp is an amazing actor, no doubt about it, his other characters just never did it for me. I loved him in this film however because he really made the Mad Hatter his own and he was just a delight to watch because you could tell he was having so much fun. Mia Wasikowska was an amazing choice for Alice. She just has this innocent and sweet vibe around her, which was essential for playing Alice. She really brought this character to life and I don't think I could of picked a better choice for Alice. Helen Bonham Carter played the Red Queen, who had an ego as large as her head, and was extremely likable for someone who was meant to be the 'bad guy', and also, she was surprisingly funny too, with her obsession for beheading. She carried off the Red Queen brilliantly and stole whatever scene she was in. Stephen Fry- OK, whoever thought of getting Stephen Fry to do the voice of the Cheshire Cat was a genius. His smooth, almost smug voice matched the character of the Cheshire Cat impeccably. I never really liked the Cheshire Cat in any of the other Alice in Wonderland movies, I always found him a little too creepy. In this version, he was one of my favorite characters, and that was mainly thanks to Stephen. He was simply amazing and fit into the role so perfectly.
Enough about the excellent acting, the other thing that made the movie so enjoyable for me was the visual effects and the computer created world of Underland. It can only be summed up in one word - stunning. I went to see it in 3D and Im so glad I did. Some of the scenes were absolutely breathtaking, particularly when she's falling down the rabbit hole or fighting the Jabberwocky. The CGI characters were amazing to look at, especially Matt Lucases' characters, Tweedledum and Tweedledee. I often found myself leaning forward, trying to absorb every detail of Underland. Its colorful and beautiful at times, at others its desolate and a little scary. Im so glad that technology has caught up with Tim Burtons imagination and can produce such beautiful movies like this.
The only problems I had with this movie was Anne Hathaway's character, the White Queen was a little annoying at times, the 3D, while it was beautiful in some scenes, it was unnecessary in others and it was too short...I never wanted it to end! Altogether, they are very minor complaints. I am already planning to go back and see it a 3rd time, and I will be counting the days until it comes out on DVD. An excellent film, well worth going to see