Film Review Alice in Wonderland 
USA 2010. Cert: PG. 108 min. Dir: Tim Burton. Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Anne Hathaway, Stephen Fry, Christopher Lee, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman.
Film Review: Alice in Wonderland
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An Alice in Wonderland film made by Tim Burton is such an irresistible idea that this will, almost undoubtedly, be a success. Burton’s past form has cemented his reputation as the go-to guy for gothic fairytales, and Alice is filled to the brim with his brand of wicked humour.
Success is far from guaranteed, though. His disastrous Planet Of The Apes re-imagining and a less than sweet Charlie and the Chocolate Factory set the seeds of doubt. Perhaps his insistence to stick to such safe material wasn’t working out as well as he the director had hoped.
Thankfully, his Alice is a bold movie, and it is clear from the beginning that Burton is feeling confident after the success of Sweeney Todd. This isn’t the Alice of old, though: instead we join Miss Darling as a teen that is being urged to follow the path expected of her. As the film plunges us down the rabbit hole into a magical world, old familiar faces are all present and correct. Much like the Harry Potter movies, Britain’s national treasures have been put to good use. Stephen Fry is a fantastic Cheshire Cat, Matt Lucas is perfect casting for Tweedledee & Tweedledum, and Alan Rickman was born to play the Caterpillar.
It is, of course, Burton’s long-time collaborators that draw the most attention. Johnny Depp is centre stage as a rather tender Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter is a glorious Red Queen. Anne Hathaway deserves a mention too for her hilarious take on a fairytale queen.
The 3D screenings will no doubt be loved by the younger members of the audience but seeing the film without funny glasses on would be just as enjoyable, as the strongest moments are not in the action but in the storytelling.
Posted on Wednesday 3rd March 2010
Nick Scott
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