MMA MOVIE REVIEW: ALICE IN WONDERLAND

At the risk of repeating myself, I go to the movies to be entertained. Some movies entertain “lightly,” like Avatar, and others entertain “darkly,” like The Hurt Locker. I much prefer to be entertained “lightly” and Alice in Wonderland, with its extraordinary cast and special effects, including 3-D and the Imax experience, is one of those movies.

Now the 3-D is not as good as that offered by Avatar, and even the glasses speak to that as Alice’s are cheesy while Avatar’s were hardy and well built. My research tells me that Alice’s technology is more similar to the “old” 3-D where Avatar was a brand new James Cameron 3-D invention. Regardless it really doesn’t take anything away from this delightful visual journey.

Now the critics, for the most part, have scorned this movie for all of those elitist reasons that only movie critics can articulate, such as blocking issues (?), cinematography, not faithful to the original story, hating Tim Burton, not liking Johnny Depp, did I mention hating Tim Burton…blah, blah, blah. I recommend you ignore that pompous nonsense and go see it, and take your kids, your grand kids, or anyone who can just enjoy some happy, albeit scary at times, fun!

This movie is delivered to us by Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton. It is an epic fantasy adventure and a magical, imaginative twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time. The inimitable Johnny Depp stars as the Mad Hatter and newcomer Mia Wasikowska as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen’s reign of terror. The all-star cast also includes Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Crispin Glover; Linda Woolverton wrote the screenplay. Capturing the wonder of Lewis Carroll’s beloved “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (1865) and “Through the Looking-Glass” (1871) with stunning, avant-garde visuals and the most charismatic characters in literary history.

It cost $200M to make and has already grossed almost $130M in the United States and close to $100M in foreign markets. That’s not bad for the first weekend!

My rating: Four out of Five stars primarily for the cheesy 3-D glasses and for using technology that was not quite up to par with Avatar, the trend setter for 3-D technology for years to come.

About Post Author

Professor Mike

Professor Mike is a left-leaning, dog loving, political junkie. He has written dozens of articles for Substack, Medium, Simily, and Tribel. Professor Mike has been published at Smerconish.com, among others. He is a strong proponent of the environment, and a passionate protector of animals. In addition he is a fierce anti-Trumper. Take a moment and share his work.

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