Ultimately, unfocused

Rating: 4/10 (7 March 2010)

This is one of those seemingly match made in heaven. Tim Burton, with his incredible ability to make Gothic imagery not dark and forbidding, takes on the classically twisted tale of Alice in Wonderland. Throw behind him his regular standbys and a blank check from Disney, and we should see something awe inspiring and as timeless as his earlier work...
Or so the theory goes. Ultimately, what we end up with is the imagery of Tim Burton, but not the soul. The movie looks fantastic. The effects blend very well together, and allows it to look cartoony without being over the top.
But, at the end of this movie, you feel incomplete. True, the story line resolves itself. But, there's not gratifying feeling that you usually get from his movies. When Edward Scissorhands finished, you felt content. Not the storybook ending you would have wanted, but felt like you were told a complete story. Here, the end feels forced, like a grandiose commentary on individuality and blazing your own path that never set the conflict up for it in the first place.
Johnny Depp and Helen Bonham-Carter both give well enough turns here, but they only fill out the roles that they have become type-casted for. Johnny Depp obviously relishes the eccentric roles, as well as Helen Bonham-Carter. But eccentric doesn't mean bombastic, and unfortunately the two of them just chew scenery for the sake of it.
I hope they all find what they are missing. The four of them, that's including Danny Elfman, are wonderfully talented. But, this movie was too big, too unfocused. Tim Burton and gang need to return to the smaller, character driven movies that built their respective careers. Because, Tim Burton's imagination is fantastic, and he is a great film maker when he is focused.