A Journey Into Burton's Wonderland

Rating: 8/10 (3 July 2010)

"Excessive CGI is excessive. Well done excessive CGI is fluent and adds to the film." - Steve Pulaski.
Rating: 3/4 stars.
Burton showed me a lot when I was younger. He showed me creativity, mystical worlds, creepy characters, eerie settings, and beautiful artistic films. I loved them when I was a kid. As Alice in Wonderland, I wasn't going crazy over the film. When it came time for it to come out, truthfully, I almost forgot. I had no interest in really seeing the film not being a hardcore fan of the original 1951 Disney movie of book. The film is just what I thought, not to bad, but not Burton's best at all. Its a passable film, but with its big potential behind it and fans all anxious to see it, it should have been a whole lot better.
Before I discuss the flaws, lets discuss the film. Protagonist Alice is at a party, which is later revealed to be an engagement party for her to wed Hamish Ascot. A rabbit who disappears and reappears constantly baffles Alice. When following the creature down the rabbit hole, she once again falls into the Underland. After being confused by numerous tricks once entering the Underworld, Alice meats Dweedle Dee and Dweedle Dumb, The Chessire Cat, the famous Mad Hatter, and other famous characters from the book. Thats about the extent of the movie.
The movie isn't awful by any means, but a lot of things could be improved. First off, the Mad Hatter seems like it took a lot of change in design before getting him to perfection. Thats fine, but it makes it look like all the other characters were rushed and not as magnificent or mastered as they could've been. Johnny Depp's performance as The Mad Hatter was very memorable and definitely the best I have seen this year next to Leo in Shutter Island. Though, let me tell you. He would surpass the 1950s detective if the movie he was in would have lived up.
Might I also mention that the movie felt like it was given a time limit before filming even started? It looks like they gave Burton the 100 minute deadline along with the sentence "You guys need to put this anticipated masterpiece into a film no longer then 100 minutes." The film feels very compressed with time and definitely could have been about forty-five minutes longer to show more impressive scenery. The CGI is excessive, but tolerable and fitting for this occasion. Which brings my all new saying "Excessive CGI is excessive. Well done excessive CGI is fluent and adds to the film." Last but not least I will say the performances are beautifully done and done with talent and effort. Matt Lucas, Anne Hathaway, and Johnny Depp give it their all not to mention Masik Wasikowaska as the lead role of Alice.
Alice in Wonderland is a dark sequel that is not the worst to come out of Burton. Though Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory shockingly over-shadow this picture. I liked the movie to a certain extent, though I will look back on this film as a distant memory from my childhood, or quite possibly just an over-hyped film that just keeps delaying Tim Burton from releasing Frankenweenie.
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Michael Sheen, and Stephen Fry. Directed by: Tim Burton.