It is an attractive but generic fantasy film that will not satisfy those that loved the original story or those that are new to the rabbit hole

Rating: 5/10 (13 March 2010)

A number of years after leaving Wonderland, Alice (Mia Wasikowska) has matured and finds herself attending a party with her family. When a repulsive young man tries to propose to her in front of all the guests, Alice runs off and falls down the rabbit hole once more. Her return to Wonderland is initially a nostalgic one, as she must first find her way through a tiny door. Yet beyond this, it is clear that Wonderland has changed considerably under the reign of the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). Alice revisits a number of family characters including, the Chesire Cat (Stephen Fry), a Blue Caterpillar (Alan Rickman) and the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). However, some of them are quite skeptical as to whether this is actually the same Alice they once knew. Regardless, they reveal to her a scroll that pictures Alice slaying the Jabberwocky monster, suggesting that she will have to rise to this challenge herself to defeat the Red Queen.
Tim Burton is one of the most visually inventive directors in Hollywood and each of his projects is met with great expectations upon release. In adapting Lewis Carroll's celebrated and timeless novel this could well be one of the most anticipated projects of his career. The thought of combining Carrooll's imaginative characters with Burton's artistic flair has for many been an incredibly attractive proposition. It is not mandatory to see the film in 3D to appreciate the efforts of Burton and his creative team to create such a visually rich and elaborate world that immerses one into Carroll's poetic vision. Even in 2D the use of colour is vibrant, either bursting brightly or saturating scenes through the sets and costumes. Other visual treats, such as the grandeur of the castles and the seamless monster animations, serve to enhance what is a highly luminous display. Given the quality of the visuals it is all the more disappointing that the screenplay by Linda Woolverton is so lacklustre. The achievement of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was that Burton respected the original text visually and thematically, while also adding some small new material to enrich the narrative. The script here is not only unfaithful to the original story but it is also a far more generic fantasy. The dark symbolism and subtext of puberty long associated with Carroll's story is absent in favour of a very simple coming of age tale, typical of numerous other Disney films. The smallest person might be able to change the world but the plots are always the same. At less than two hours this is not a particularly inspired adventure because not a great deal eventuates and also because the story is padded with familiar action sequences that lack tension.
Fortunately, the performances are mostly good even though the actors seem to be having more fun than the audience. After an uncharacteristically dull performance in Public Enemies, Depp is livelier here, adding touches of humour and even some vulnerability in his performance. Depp thrives on kooky characters such as this and while it might be a role catered perfectly for him, it is still not quite as memorable or as fun as some of his very best performances. This is most likely because the dialogue in the film only shows glimpses of some of the wordplay from Carroll's story. Wasikowska, a young Australian actress, is very sweet as Alice and amidst a wealth of talent here she is reasonably impressive, achieving a great deal of warmth through her smile. It is a shame that this lovely performance is only allowed to develop in a purely conventional way as Alice rises to the challenge and realises her answers in and out of Wonderland. The efforts of some of the voice actors like Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman are welcome too, but the yelling of the Red Queen becomes rather tiresome.
Although this is a visual delight, it is not up with Burton's best work. It lacks the dark edge of Sweeney Todd and the humour and wit of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It is possible that the involvement of Disney has redirected the film's narrative to become more conventional and familiar in appealing to families and small children. Regardless, it is difficult to recommend the film in either 2D or 3D simply because the script never allows the film to reach its potential with any exuberance. It is an attractive but generic fantasy film that will not satisfy those that loved the original story or those that are new to the rabbit hole.