Almost Burton... And then Disney said no...

Rating: 6/10 (5 March 2010)

Alice was always going to be Burton's big film. Everyone, all the Burtonion Gothic children out there sitting waiting for next installment, thumbing copies of Oyster Boy, wanted Timmy to do Lewis Carols' Alice. 10 years ago, rumors were abound of a American McGee's Alice film, which, if Burton would have worked with McGee on, would have been a dark, yet inspired take on Alice.
Yet, we could have had that, now, in 2010; if it was not for Disney. After watching it, on 3D IMAX no less, it was the hand of Disney that manipulated what could have been a masterpiece into, what was, a generic post-LOR Disney epic, of a similar vein to Narina. It is, as if, the cigar chomping Mickey Mouse sat on Burton's shoulder telling him what he could and couldn't write. At times, pieces of Timmy Burtons style manages to squeeze itself through the cracks of the Disney facade. Little tit bits of his unique mark on cinema get through but its all made out to be nice and squeaky clean at the edges, just the way that good 'ol double M would want it. I understand if you want to target the children market Disney but don't put a repressed action hero doormouse in the form of Barbara Windsor and a whole menagerie of talking animals in it.
If you need to an image of how far Disney have taken their trademarking of this franchise, then all you need do is take a look at the White Queen's castle. Remind you of a particular castle you see every time you load up a Disney DVD? I feel sorry for TB, after all it should have been great. Those moments that are his are great, the best of the film. But it is the Disneyiness of it all that lets it down. Cut the Disney out and let Burton make his own film.