My Review of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland 2010

I just got back from seeing the movie and I thought it was really good. To be honest, since I've been anticipating seeing it, and really looking forward to it, and being very excited about it, I was worried that it wouldn't meet my expectations. Luckily I thought it was really good. I will say, however, that it is an adventure movie. Ready for adventure?

Everybody should know the story by now: Alice Kingsley is expected to marry an overbearing young man that she isn't really into, and when he proposes to her, she excuses herself and takes a side trip down the rabbit hole. But in doing so, Alice jumps out of the proverbial frying pan and into the fire. Once in Underland (Wonderland) again, she is pulled into an adventure where she is expected to do other things she'd really rather not do by some characters that she can barely understand. Like the books, everything works by its own logic (or illogic, as the case may be) and Alice plays the part of the "straight man" by being serious and sensible in the face of madness.

The movie has its weak points. For example, I felt let down by the Tea Party. I was expecting something more like the book or the Tea Party in the 1952 Disney adaptation. Both are silly and maddening. While Burton pays homage to the 1952 Disney version by having the March Hare pour some tea "into" a tea cup with a broken bottom and some other nonsense like that, the Tea Party in this movie is squandered to provide some background information about current events in Underland. Both my guest and I felt let down by the Futterwacking, especially after so much had been made of it. I don't know about anybody else, but I also felt like the movie was "rushed" and could have used some more attention or time in some scenes. *Whew* OK that was a lot - let's look at the good things.

Things I really loved: The Cheshire Cat is amazingly cool, has mysterious dialogue, is an intriguing character, and is awesomely animated. The Bandersnatch is horrifying, sad, and (surprise) complex. Helena Bonham Carter is a hoot as the Red Queen, and Anne Hathaway totally hams up the prim fairy queenliness of the White Queen. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter is by turns tender, mad, sad, haunted, and crazy. There are also: talking animals, laboring monkeys, a horrifying moat crossing, a menacing performance by Crispin Glover, some white-knuckle bravery, some men acting like pigs, some emotional depth, and some arguments that end only when one of the parties involved manages to makes absolutely no sense. The architecture of the palaces is amazing. Alice rides several creatures in the movie and each time it is exhilarating.

On a basic level, I think Tim Burton's movie is about a girl searching for her identity. Alice's identity is questioned at the very beginning by the Dormouse and other characters. At first Alice claims to be "The Alice" but then chickens out. When consulted about her identity, the Caterpillar says that she is "Not Yet Alice." Later in the movie, Alice deceives the Red Queen by claiming to be someone named "Um." All along, Alice is either too big or too small. It is as if she needs to get "right-sized." As the story unfolds, Alice finds herself walking the line between what she thinks is right and what everyone else in the story expects of her. I don't know how anyone else feels about it, but I liked this extra level of meaning, and I also liked the extremes that Alice has to traverse to find her own answers.

As a bonus, Alice also gets to wear a bunch of beautiful and amazing dresses and outfits. Much kudos to costume designer Colleen Atwood for these and the other costumes in the film. Last, as everyone seems to agree, the 3D and animation is really amazing and Underland is dazzlingly cool and dark. If you're going to see Alice in Wonderland with the expectation that it will be everything you would expect a masterpiece based on Lewis Carroll's timeless books to be, you might come out disappointed. BUT if you're looking for a fun adventure about a girl who is trying to find herself, then you're in for a fun ride.

What did you think? Leave a comment here or send in a review to alice@coldcold.com. I'll publish any reviews received on a special review page. If you have a blog and review the movie, drop me a line and I'll link to your review.

Previously: Review of The Mystery of Lewis Carroll by Jenny Woolf

* * *

Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway

A few weeks ago I mentioned that you could go and submit questions to be answered by the leading ladies of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Above is the resulting interview. If you click on the above to go to YouTube, you will find that there are more. Via

Go here for 10 different Alice in Wonderland themed songs by 10 different bands. Everything from Jefferson Airplane to Marilyn Manson.

Previously: Avril Lavigne Single from Almost Alice

* * *

The Latest Alice Clip

I've declared a media blackout as far as what I've been watching, but here is the newest of Alice clips. Don't tell me what's happening!

Previously: Wonderland Wednesdays!

* * *

Dutch Cinemas Revolt and Alice Unscripted Interviews

More bad news for Disney in their bid to shorten the theater run of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, a group of Dutch cinema companies has thrown down the gauntlet and will not be showing the movie. Theaters in the UK are still threatening to boycott the movie as well. Apparently, they have stopped selling advance tickets.

In the good news department, go here if you have a question for Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter and/or Anne Hathaway.

Did I run this one already? I can't find it if i did. - The LA Weekly has costume ideas for Alice in Wonderland parties.

Previously: Alice in Wonderland Costume Ideas

* * *

More! More! More! How Do You Like It

 

New large photos of Mia Wasikowska on a fan site. Here is my favorite, above.

Two pages of Alice in Wonderland illustrations from various sources: One. Two.

There is a fight brewing concerning how many weeks Tim Burton's movie will run in theaters in the UK and how soon it will be available for video on demand outlets.

Previously: Movie Posters

* * *

Interview with Mia Wasikowska and Character Descriptions

Another interview with Mia Wasikowska, here.

Here's another item that is kind of old news. Alternate names and descriptions of the characters of Alice in Wonderland for the upcoming movie. I wish I knew where these came from exactly, but ultimately they're from Disney. This will be useful to use in conjunction with the Glossary of Terms.

Character Descriptions
IRACEBETH, THE RED QUEEN (Helena Bonham Carter) is the tyrannical monarch of Underland. With her oversized head, fiery temper and propensity to scream for people’s heads to be chopped off, she rules her subjects through fear. “She’s got emotional problems,” says Bonham Carter. “It takes nothing, practically, for her to lose her temper. Her tantrums are that of a two-year-old.” Her younger sibling, the White Queen, has designs on the throne and crown that Iracebeth once stole from her.

ILOSOVIC STAYNE, THE KNAVE OF HEARTS (Crispin Glover) is the head of the Red Queen’s Army. Seven feet, six-inches tall, with a scarred face and a heart-shaped patch covering his left eye, Stayne is an arrogant, tricky character who follows the Red Queen’s every order. He’s the only one capable of pacifying her and calming her dramatic mood swings. “I am the martial element for the Red Queen,” says Glover. “The Red Queen has a fair amount of short-tempered reactions to things that people do, and so my character has to be quite diplomatic.” His darker side emerges in the shadows of the castle hallways.

TMCTWISP, THE WHITE RABBIT (voice of Michael Sheen) is always late, always in a hurry, always rushing about. Charged with finding Alice and bringing her back to Underland so that she can fulfill her destiny, he shows up at her garden party in an effort to lure her back down the rabbit hole. “He’s a warm character,” says Sheen, “but, at the same time, he can be quite fussy and quite strict with Alice as well. He has an edge to him, a nervous energy, always feeling like he’s behind time.  Time is very important to him, but he’s quite brave when called upon.”

MALLYMKUN, THE DORMOUSE (voice of Barbara Windsor) is a swashbuckling mouse in Underland who wears riding breeches.  She refuses to believe that the White Rabbit has found the right Alice, the one who can help return Underland to its true splendor, and is only too happy to poke poor Alice in the ankle with a hat pin when Alice insists she’s only dreaming.  But the tough little mouse comes through in a pinch when Alice is threatened by a clawing creature called a Bandersnatch.  Her loyalty to the Hatter is unmatched, and she willingly faces the prospect of death to stand by him.

ABSOLEM, THE CATERPILLAR (voice of Alan Rickman) is the all-knowing and absolute guardian of the Oraculum, an ancient document that depicts every major event, past, present and future, in Underland’s history. Alice is taken by the White Rabbit and the Tweedles to meet Absolem, so that he can ascertain whether she is, in fact, the real Alice who first visited Underland as a child, the Alice who is destined to help them. They find the bulbous blue caterpillar atop a mushroom in a mushroom forest surrounded by misty smoke. Several times Absolem challenges Alice to come to a better understanding of herself, forcing her to face the difficult question: “Who are you?”

Previously: Mia Wasikowska in Teen Vogue

* * *

Mia Wasikowska in March 2010 Teen Vogue

The really really ridiculously good-looking and talented star of Alice in Wonderland, Mia Wasikowska, will be in the March 2010 issue of Teen Vogue. This issue will be hitting the newsstands in a week. In the article, she discusses her role.

"Alice is such a high-profile character," She says... "One of the things that was scary about taking on that role is the huge fan base; everybody has their own idea of who she is. So [Tim and I] discussed, very early on, just being happy with her being our Alice ... making her my own."

We have, on the Teen Vogue website: An article about Mia Wasikowska, a slideshow, and a second slideshow. Photoshoot video embedded, below.



Previously: Interview with Mia Wasikowska

* * *

New Movie Poster for Tim Burton's Alice

Wow this week has been full of news. Here's a new poster for Alice in Wonderland 2010. As you can see, we have here: The Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), The Dormouse (Barbara Windsor), The March Hare (Noah Taylor), The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), Alice (Mia Wasikowska), The White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), The Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), and The White Queen (Anne Hathaway). Back there in the distance is the Caterpillar (Alan Rickman).
 
Previously: Another recent Alice 2010 Poster

* * *

Alice in Wonderland Collectors Medicom Action Figures

We have here the first "toys" I've seen attached to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland 2010. What we have here is figures of Alice (Mia Wasikowska) and the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). (Wow, I can finally spell Wasikowska without look it up. That took longer than I expected.) As you can see, it looks like we've got two different versions of the Hatter available. There's the $20 version and the $170 version. Alas, these are expected in July 2010, but can be pre-ordered now.

Previously:

* * *

Final Piece of Tim Burton's Alice 2010 Poster

Disney has released the third and final piece of the Alice in Wonderland poster. This one with Johnny Depp (as the Mad Hatter) and Alan Rickman as The Caterpillar. I was reading somewhere that the movie is only four months away, which it is!

Disney also released an eye-strain-o-vision tiny version of the three posters stitched together. Of course, I got out my construction paper and scissors and did it up right. So, here it is, an Alice 2010 exclusive! The whole poster.

Previously: Cool Alice in Wonderland Calendar

* * *

Next Piece of the Mad Hatter Puzzle

 
The Mad Hatter Facebook page now has the next photo of the Alice 2010 poster which was leaked a couple days ago. It's nice to see it in better quality.

Previously: Alice 2010 Concept Art

* * *

New to Me Interview with Mia Wasikowska about Alice

Relatively meaningless interview with Mia Wasikowska from Collider.com. From the contents of the interview, this must have happened a long time ago, because she mentions that she doesn't know what she'll be working on next.

Previously: Mia Wasikowska Archive Page

* * *

Alice Flash Game and Mia Wasikowska

Morbid flash game titled "Alice is Dead?".

Mia Wasikowska made it onto OK Magazine's 25 under 25 list.

Previously: Disney announces Alice in Wonderland video game due in 2010.

* * *

Tuesday not Alice but Mickey Mouse

What! No Alice in Wonderland instead only Micky Mouse and friends in Wonderland released on DVD and reviewed here. Looks like it's for the younger set...

More Mia Wasikowska photos than you can shake a stick at here.

It's making me scratch my head: All the gossip sites are reporting that Kurt Cobain's teenage daughter, Francis Bean Cobain turned down the role of Alice in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland 2010. Reason stated: "Because she's going to college." Maybe they should add "Not an actress" to that?

Alice in Wonderland cosplay photos here.

Previously: More Mia Wasikowska here.

* * *

Disney Expo D23 Details Plus Posters

Walt Disney Studios has announced that at the D23 Expo this year, on Friday, September 11, 2009, Dick Cook, chairman will present sneak peeks of a bunch of coming Disney movies, including Alice in Wonderland 2010. Go here for the D23 Expo site, and here for the Expo Schedule. Here is the full press release on the Disney Blog.

Information on the British Royal Ballet's planned 2011 production of Alice in Wonderland.

Finally, we have huge copies of the Alice in Wonderland movie posters.

 

 

 

* * *

Will the Real Alice Please Stand Up

Charlotte Henry as Alice (1933)

Here's a very thoughtful article in the Guardian Co UK movie blog on how different versions of Alice in Wonderland have portrayed Alice, and how true they were to the book. The author is, of course, concerned about Tim Burton's choice of 19 year old Mia Wasikowska for Alice in Wonderland 2010. This got me to thinking about how many versions there must be. If you're wondering now, see the IMDB search results here. The author is also astute enough to mention one of my favorite versions, Jan Svankmajer's rather dark stop-motion version of Alice.

Recently I noticed that there was an Alice in Wonderland outfit for sale for people who play Second Life. Here at this NSFW site are some more Second Life designs. They're definitely on the dark side of Alice, and include vampire bites and blood red tears.

Last we have some very nice Alice in Wonderland tea sets. It looks like they have adult tea sets and children's tea sets.

Bon Voyage.

* * *

New Alice Photo out of Comic Con 2009, AND

First up we have a new photo of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. It's a wonderful photo of Mia Wasikowska as Alice Kingsley. This is out of promotional photos from Comic Con 2009 which is happening in San Diego right now. Lookeng Good.

Next we have a blog entry by an artist who was Johnny Depp's stand in during the shooting of Alice in Wonderland 2010. He titles it: Andrew hangs out with Johnny Depp and Tim Burton every day for 5 weeks

* * *

Alice in Wonderland is coming

I started this blog to follow the buzz about Tim Burton's upcoming movie, Alice in Wonderland, which looks like it's going to be going by the nickname "Alice in Wonderland 2010". The expected release date is March of 2010 (thus the 2010.) Just to get a move on, here's a photo and the cast according to IMDB.

Mia Wasikowska - Alice Kingsley
Johnny Depp - The Mad Hatter
Michael Sheen - The White Rabbit
Helena Bonham Carter - The Red Queen
Anne Hathaway - The White Queen
Alan Rickman - The Caterpillar
Stephen Fry - The Cheshire Cat
Crispin Glover - The Knave of Hearts
Christopher Lee - The Jabberwock
Matt Lucas - Tweedledee / Tweedledum
Noah Taylor - The March Hare
Timothy Spall - The Bloodhound
Marton Csokas - Charles Kingsley
Eleanor Tomlinson - Fiona Chataway
Annalise Basso - The May Pole Dancer
Jemma Powell - Margaret Manchester
John Hopkins - Lowell Manchester
Lindsay Duncan - Helen Kingsley
Barbara Windsor - The Dormouse
Frances de la Tour - Aunt Imogene
Austin James Wolff - The May Pole Dancer
Eleanor Gecks - Faith Chataway
Tim Pigott-Smith - Lord Ascot
Geraldine James - Lady Ascot
Lucy Davenport
Leo Bill - Hamish Ascot

* * *