iCademy Globe

"Alice in Wonderland": An iCademy Globe Review

Onastasia Youssef, Contributor

After seeing G-Force, one might wonder whether or not Disney can any longer produce high quality live-action flicks without the help of Walden Media. While Bedtime Stories and Race to Witch Mountain were both admirable efforts, they also failed to impress the same way The Chronicles of Narnia did. Yes, based on these productions, it would seem that Hollywood is now more interested in making money than they are in making movies. As a film that speaks to the audience instead of their wallets, Alice in Wonderland, Disney’s most recent work, destroys this assumption.

The audience learns about a strange place called Wonderland when the movie opens with a six-year-old Alice tells about the world she envisions frequently during recurring nightmares. After she is comforted by her father, the scene fades to black and we are transported thirteen years into the future when Alice attends a get-together that turns out to be her own engagement party. Shortly after the proposal is made, she is distracted by a white rabbit that leads her away from the group. 

In a surprising (and yet not-so-surprising) twist, Alice plummets violently down a rabbit hole where she finds herself in a strange world called Underland, a decrepit version of her own Wonderland, oppressed by the evil Red Queen and inhabited by an underground revolutionary coup of dogs, dodos, hares, and Hatters led by the benevolent White Queen. To end the reign of the croquet-loving tyrant, the Jabberwocky, a dragon-like monster used to terrorize towns into submission, must be destroyed -- and Alice must be the one to do it. 

A gripping tale of self-discovery and insanity, this is a delightfully darker version of the Alice stories with no nod whatsoever to the Disney cartoon. While watching, the viewer is continually haunted by a contradictory sense of recollection and forgetfulness. All the while, Wonderland remains lighthearted, hopeful, and optimistic with wise and encouraging words from the Hatter (Johnny Depp) and Absolem the Caterpillar (Alan Rickman).

The first hour is admittedly slow at times, but, if the innovative twists on the classic tale can’t keep you watching, the fabulous effects will. Also noteworthy is the movie’s eye-catching and eccentric costume designs by Colleen Atwood which simultaneously capture the unique personality of each individual character and the somehow-coherent craziness of Underland. Wonderland is also never short on action, but isn’t too violent for younger audiences either with the movie’s only bloodshed in CGI. 

Heartwarming friendships, shocking betrayal, and touching displays of loyalty, courage, and selflessness make this a meaningful tale sure to please moviegoers of all ages. It’s one certainly worth watching if only to hear Depp’s Scottish-voiced rendition of the classic Jabberwocky poem or to see his double (David Bernal) do the Futterwacken dance towards the film’s end.

After enjoying Alice in Wonderland’s witty banter, colorful characters, impressive action, heartfelt message, and, of course, the wry yet tantalizing wit of Tim Burton, you’ll realize that falling down the rabbit hole has never been this fun.

Alice in Wonderland is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray Disc at B&N.com.