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After three years of anticipation ever since I finished watching Sweeney Todd, I couldn't wait to see it! I was obsessed with this film like I was with Sweeney Todd and The Dark Knight. Despite my hype of the film, I was worried that because this film is an extension of the two Lewis Carroll novels Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking-Glass picture, there could be a mess in the plot. To be fair, I didn't find the film a mess at all and I thought the story actually worked out pretty well as the film itself did. It is one of the few films that combines live action and animation together. Obviously, the visual effects were absolutely stunning but I felt that the filming was rushed. No doubt the film'll be a contender for Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design and Best Visual Effects in next years Oscars.
This definitely has the best ensemble cast ever in a Tim Burton film! We obviously know that Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter would be in the film being best friend (Depp) and real-life spouse (Bonham Carter) so besides them are Anne Hathaway, Alan Rickman, Crispin Glover, Martin Sheen and Mia Wasikowska as Alice. I was expecting to see a wooden Alice in this one but Wasikowska surprised me. She not only made Alice a hero but an attractive young woman too which is good for the character because she is around that age. This will probably be the one film she'll be best known for. Johnny Depp is making his 7th and latest collaboration with best friend Tim Burton and he once again plays a creepy and crazy character. Johnny's performance as the Mad Hatter was really good but unfortunately he didn't make the Mad Hatter his own character like he did with Captain Jack Sparrow and Willy Wonka. In fact, the Mad Hatter was just a mixed character between them. The Mad Hatter is Johnny Depp's creepiest performance in a Tim Burton film so far. Helena Bonham Carter's performance as the Red Queen sorta disappointed me because I don't think she was as terrifying as I was expecting because the Red Queen is a very threatening character. Supporting characters Anne Hathaway, Matt Lucas and Crispin Glover all deliver good performances with voice roles including Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Martin Sheen and Barbara Windsor.
It is an absolutely typical Tim Burton film that he has crafted from children's novels into something that is his normal style as well as making it a child-friendly film. Also, it is a film from Disney and Disney are normally films that are light-hearted and perfect for the family. Tim Burton previously worked with Disney on The Nightmare Before Christmas back in 1993 and that has been acclaimed by many to be one of the best Disney's. Alice In Wonderland is a children's book but Tim Burton creates something dark to this classic tale like he does in every film he has done.
Overall, Alice In Wonderland is a visually stunning film that must be seen in 3D otherwise you'll be missing a great experience. It is neither one of Tim Burton's best films nor one of his worst either. Same with Johnny Depp. My most anticipating film of 2010 turns out to be a very enjoyable piece of entertaining magic that does have some disappointing moments.
