Alice in Wonderland, a Review
Disney is back with one of its greatest movie hits ever &mdash Alice in Wonderland!
But don't let the title fool you. This isn't a remake of the old classic fairytale Alice in Wonderland. It's a brand new piece of work directed by Tim Burton and it has a whole new cast, as well. His witty eye and typical macabre humor is fully at play in this piece.
The most important fact that you should know before you see the movie is that it doesn't follow the actual plot of the traditional children's tale. This Alice actually returns to Wonderland at the age of 19 only to learn that her destiny is to end the Red Queen's reign of chaos and terror.
But is that so easy to accept? Imagine being 19 and falling into a hole that takes you to a magical, crazy world where you learn that it's foretold that you are the one who must fight the evil empress and put an end to her whole kingdom. Would you panic or would you accept your fate calmly? Our Alice's decision is what makes up one of the major themes of the film
.The White Queen vs. the Red Queen, Alice vs. Society's Expectations, and Reality vs. Wonderland are some of the battles we see fought in this film. Johnny Depp is at the top of his game as the Mad Hatter and seems to revel in the brilliance of the scenery, dialogue, and insanity that this film brings to the audience.
Will Alice choose to grow up or remain a child? Will she follow in her father's footsteps or do what society demands of a woman her age? It's at once, a coming of age film and a fairy tale for children and the delicate balance of these two themes keeps you pondering, even after the movie is done. This film may not be Burton's best work, but we cannot deny the fact that it's truly worth watching as long as you realize that it's not a faithful remake of the actual Alice in Wonderland story. Off with this review!