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FILMS
Disney
Mia Wasikowska plays Alice in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.”
A mildly wonderful ‘Alice’
Tim Burton’s adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland” (Disney) lives up to its visual promise. Yet it falls short of being the epic journey many hoped it would be.
It’s disappointing as the characters we all know walk through an altered storyline that never really captures your attention.
The film follows Alice as a young lady, not a child, on what is actually her second trip to, well, Underland — Burton’s Wonderland.
This time Alice must save Underland from the reign of the evil Red Queen, played brilliantly by Helena Bonham Carter, and restore power to the White Queen, played graciously by Anne Hathaway. To do this she must slay the Red Queen’s dragon-like pet — the Jabberwocky.
All of Underland is counting on her to do this, but Alice herself is not sure of her own ability. The film follows her emotional journey — which consists of resisting a marriage proposal in England and resisting a fight that may kill her in Underland. She comes to realize her power as an individual to act on behalf of the community.
Bonham Carter as the Red Queen and Johnny Depp, who plays the Mad Hatter, are inspired in their unique roles. Bonham Carter illustrates the loneliness that comes from an evil reign with relish. Depp plays the Mad Hatter as a crazed, but very sweet and genuinely wounded man who yearns for the world to feel sane once again.
In fact, the Red Queen and Mad Hatter make for epically fresh performances of the well-known characters. Mia Wasikowska fits the bill as Alice and Anne Hathaway plays the White Queen well, but is left in the shadow of Bonham Carter’s tremendous performance.
Make-up and costumes, however, are the real stars of the show. Burton does not disappoint in crafting the topsy-turvy world.
Nevertheless, the actual story is lacking. It’s obviously secondary to the characters and visuals.
Several moral messages are woven weakly into the colorful fabric of the film. Alice is challenging societal expectations in positive ways in the real world and in Underland is continually a voice for peace. She is an independent person, but not to the detriment of her community.
Instead she uses her independence to rise above expectations and serves as a positive role model. Ultimately she sacrifices her own safety for the good of the community — an obviously Christian theme — and although it could have been emphasized more strongly, the message is still present and positive.
It seems that Burton got so distracted by the visuals that he neglected the story. It plods along slowly toward a climax that is not nearly exciting enough to compete with the rich, textured visuals of the creative world in which it is taking place. Consequently, the film simply falls flat. It’s a fun ride, but not the wonder it may have been.
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