Carroll's World Comes to Life

Rating: 7/10 (10 March 2010)

The eight year old inside of me felt it necessary to re-read Lewis Carroll's books before sitting down to watch ALICE IN WONDERLAND. While I finished my reading believing the story to be precious more than nonsense, I also found myself in a state of curiosity. What did a Bandersnatch look like? Just how loony was The March Hare? And what did this world on the other side of the rabbit hole look like? While it might not have been the film I expected, I have to give this movie credit - it certainly gave me an experience far wilder than my own imagination.
Deciding what to say about ALICE IN WONDERLAND was admittedly difficult. Admittedly, I wasn't wowed by the film, but a lot of that is on me - and not the fault of the film. The movie geek in me started doing the math months ago...Alice + Burton + Depp + 3-D = Holy moly awesome! The problem is, that my tempered reaction to the film isn't really a reaction to the film, it's a reaction to expectations versus reality.
The reality is that we have been given a Wonderland that truly brings Lewis Carroll's imagination to life. From the lush garden of talking flowers to the regal intimidation of The Red Queen's palace, the set pieces of this film are rich with lavishness, whimsy, and indeed - wonder. Making it all the more complete are the tiny details, like the frantically flapping birds holding chandeliers aloft, and flamingo croquet mallets that apologize to the de facto ball before whacking him into play.
Where the set pieces leave off, the actors come in and take over. Mia Wasikowska is an understated Alice. Some have reacted by saying that she seems to play things a little *too* subtle, but I find the slightly muted delivery more befitting of a 19-year old. When Alice first goes to Wonderland, she's wide-eyed with curiosity. Befitting a girl who has had thirteen years to stew on what she thought was a dream, she wanders through this great unknown with a bit more steely temperament.
Alice being understated isn't such a bad thing this time around as it basically keeps her out of harm's way when she's in a scene opposite Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen or Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter. Both were characters that left me hesitant in still images, but when brought to life on the screen they thrive in this nonsensical world. Bonham Carter tears through every scene she's in with a reckless abandon, and Depp brings a nice duality to The Hatter. the temptation *must* have been great to play him like a raving loon. Happily, Depp instead plays him with a nice mix of fear and oddity. Suffice to say - he made me proud of my handle.
If I do have a great disappointment with the film, it's the afterthought attitude towards the 3-D rendering. It comes into play very sparingly, and really isn't utilized nearly enough in this fantastical story - one that seems like it was written for a 3-D treatment. I have mentioned on more than one occasion that 3-D is by and large a gimmick, and ALICE did nothing to change my mind. Further, it's lack of use of the technology was one thing that disappointed me.
In the years since I first heard this story, I've had many daydreams about what a Cheshire Cat's smile looks like, or how an army of playing cards might move. the way ALICE IN WONDERLAND brought these visions to life alone were enough for me to recommend this film. And while I will openly admit that I found the overall narrative wanting, I can forgive it for distracting me with visual delights that I have only been able to imagine since I was eight.