Tim Burton's stylized take on Alice in Wonderland has polarized audiences and critics alike. While this film uses the works of Lewis Carroll as a springboard, it owes just as much to the likes of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz, and those zany Sid and Marty Krofft television shows from the 70's. It should also be noted that this isn't a straight up adaptation of the books (it uses characters and imagery from Jabberwocky as well as Through The Looking Glass) or the Disney animated feature, but rather a sequel along the lines of Hook. Thankfully, this film works more successfully than Steven Spielberg's Peter Pan follow up mostly because Burton is just so out there.
If Spielberg represents Pan then Burton is the Mad Hatter.

As this updating begins, a nineteen year old Alice (played by Mia Wasikowska) slips back down the rabbit hole on the very day she's proposed to by a man she's not at all interested in. Upon returning to Wonderland, Alice is unaware that she's been there before and this prompts the residents of this strange, magical world to question whether or not this girl really is the Alice they once knew. While Alice is certainly the star of the show, audiences are flocking to theaters for the eye popping special effects and the re-teaming of Burton and Johnny Depp (Depp appears as the Mad Hatter). Alice in Wonderland does sag a bit in the mid section but its trippy nature and visual splendor make it well worth checking out. There's been much talk about film's use of 3-D. Unlike Avatar, Alice in Wonderland wasn't shot in 3-D. It was transferred during post production and while this will certainly be noticeable to those who frequent the movies, I still give Burton props for avoiding the gimmicky nature of 3-D movies of the past. This isn't about tossing objects at the audience. It's about enveloping the viewer, and more often than not, that's what this Alice in Wonderland does. As for Depp, his Mad Hatter isn't as memorable as his best Tim Burton film creations (i.e. Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood) but he's much more interesting here than he was as Willy Wonka. As for Burton, this doesn't rank at the top of his eccentric resume, but its considerably stronger than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Planet of the Apes.

Grade: B