How do you get to Wonderland?

Apparently you plop down 13 bucks and grab some 3D glasses… or that’s how I did it Thursday night at Midnight.  Seems fairly easy when you get down to it—much simpler than following rabbits or falling down through a hole in the Earth.

The film in question, however, is slightly more complicated and I felt as though I needed to blog about it.  I reasoned thusly: I haven’t updated my blog in a while & I really do enjoy Alice in Wonderland.  It’s strange that I’ve gotten to this point really (I’m telling you now this is bound to contain some SPOILERS because I’ve never been good at hiding them so consider yourself warned).  When I was little, Alice was my favorite.  I never dressed as a Disney Princess (mind you back then Disney consumer products wasn’t forcing them all down our throats like they do now) but one of my very first costumes was Alice.  It’s always been kind of personal to me.  As I grew up it turned into more of a fascination with Alice related things (products, clothing, spin offs, etc) than the actual Disney film.  Recently, I reread both Alice novels and found myself both elated and worried that I seemed to understand all the “nonsense” found within the text.  But in ways I’ve always related to Alice—I am perpetually living in a world of my own.  
At the prospect of the new Tim Burton imagined version of the film coming our way, I was both excited and apprehensive.  I know he gets flack, but I tend to enjoy Burton’s “reimagining” of classic source material (i.e.. Willy Wonka, Sweeny Todd, Sleepy Hollow… pretty much anything that doesn’t involve Marky Mark running around with apes).

So with trepidation, I headed to the multiplex to partake in Burton’s spin of Alice in Wonderland and honestly, I really liked it for several reasons.  The story takes place about 13 yrs after Alice originally visited Wonderland (which she thinks was just a nightmare from her childhood).  She’s now 19 and trying to find her place in a society she doesn’t feel comfortable.  At a garden party held by such society Alice is proposed to by a young man who personifies everything she takes issue with.  And so, as most heroines are wont to do, she runs away.  Only, this is Alice in Wonderland, so the girl chases a white rabbit and falls down a hole and eventually we end up in that land o’ Wonder… only it’s actually called Underland (that part and the fairly lame excuse that at 7 Alice just heard it wrong kind of bugged me).

From here the plot… well it kind of mirror’s the regular Alice story, but with characters pointing out this has already happened and they need to move on.  Turns out, the White Rabbit was sent to get Alice from her world so she could fulfill a prophecy set forth by the Oraculum (an ancient scroll with moving pictures that’s watched over by the Caterpillar) to save Underland from the tyranny of the Red Queen.  This is where the movie finds it’s purpose—if Alice is to do what is foretold, she must first make herself into the Alice that is needed (I’m sure that made sense).

This was the point in the film where I sighed in relief.  You see from the trailers and ads that had been presented thus far I was sure this film was going to be all about The Mad Hatter.  It seemed Johnny Depp’s name and face were the only things associated with any marketing for this film.  While I don’t mind this because Johnny does have a lovely face, it did have me a bit worried.  At this point I was 15-20 minutes into the film and there was still no hatter sighting.

The story really is about Alice and her journey from a girl who wants change but doesn’t know how to go about it to a girl who is fearless and ready to take on even the most fearsome of beasts.  We can ignore the anachronism since it is a fairy tale of sorts and see her as an innovator and a feminist.  I’ll say my only issue with the character was that she seemed more bemused than curious throughout.  Much of it was like going through the motions and I wish she had had some bigger epiphanies as to the whole saving the world thing.
Hatter ends up playing second fiddle to her.  A yin for her yang—all be it a crazy mother f-er of a Yin.  He wants order back so much and he knows Alice is the only one who can create it.  He knows she much believe in herself.  Johnny plays the character in typical Johnny fashion (read: bizarre).  Part of the time he’s channeling Jack Sparrow, then it’s Ed Wynn (the original Disney Hatter), then he’s like random Scottish.  The character exudes emotion from his clothing to his face and beyond and it’s actually a very fun, frightening and interesting idea.
The Knave of Hearts is Crispin Glover… Crispin Glover kind of scares me and I cannot explain why.  He was easily the creepiest character in the film.  He’s weasly and conniving and just weird
There are also the two queens vying for leadership.  Originally I was worried the Red Queen, with her bulbous CGI head would weird me out.  In the film, though, it didn’t bother me at all or take me out of the movie.  She’s misunderstood but still very easy not to like.  You feel sympathy for her but you also want to see her fall.
The White Queen on the other hand is fair and kind.  I liked seeing the side of her that was all lofty high affairs and the other side that was just dedicated to saving everyone from her sister.
As for the side characters, again the CGI kind of blew me away.  I was terrified it was going to look terrible and green screen-y but for the most part it blended seamlessly.  The characters I didn’t think would look good (the Tweedles, Cheshire Cat, etc) actually looks amazing once they were moving.  I do have to laugh at the army of Card Soldiers (they look a lot like the one’s created for Frank Beddor’s Looking Glass Wars… and I’m sure [since he’s actually the one that knows Alice’s really story] he’ll freak over that).  My favorite of all though was the March Hare.  He was probably the most insane of the lot and balancing on at the precipice of wits end and it was done remarkably well.  Oh and having the Jabberwocky voiced by Christopher Lee made the creature even more amazing.

Oh lord, I’m babbling, I knew this would happen.  All right, lets try to wrap this up a bit.  My issues with the film were not many, but I did feel the pacing was off (too much Red Queen’s palace, not enough Alice finding her strength).  There wasn’t enough Curiosity (which is what makes Alice Alice).  Oh and the poem is called the Jabberwocky but the actual beast is called the Jabberwock (that was also a little thing but really annoyed me because it always has) And… well this isn’t an issue, but Hatter’s dance at the end (the Futterwacken) was one of the more insane things I’ve ever seen and reminded me of Captain Eo for some reason.  I’m off subject again.

I felt the film was really well done and I’m excited to watch it again.  It was a lot of what I expected by it also managed to surprise me and I hope that everyone takes a peek and gives it a chance.  Wonderland or Underland or whatever you feel like calling it is alive and well it’s just gotten a slight update.