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30 April 2010
Posted in
Feature
Chris has two kids, ages 7 and 6 (with one on the way...shhh, no one knows yet) and happily married to an understanding wife that also loves kids (preschool teacher). He is constantly surrounded by toys and kids games and movies.
I have to say first and foremost, that I am not the biggest Tim Burton fan in the world. I also have to say that I was surprised that Disney was allowing Mr Burton the creative license to remake a classic such as Alice in Wonderland to begin with.
For those of you who do not know, Tim Burton is the producer behind such wonderful films as The Corpse Bride, 9, Edward Scissorhands, and (unfortunately) Batman Forever. He has also been the mind directing other great movies such as Beetlejuice, (The remake of) Charley and the Chocolate Factory, and Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Needless to say, I was mixed on what to expect from his mind redoing Charles Dickens' classic tale under Disney's guidance.
The good point I can tell you right off the bat, is that this isn't a "remake" of Alice in Wonderland so much as a "Sequel." Everything in the movie screams Tim Burton with amazing scenes and animations that you would expect in a Disney movie. The picture starts off with Alice, who is now 19 and expected to marry a nobleman against her wishes, running after something that looks like a rabbit with an overcoat from a dream she had when she was young. All throughout the first half of the movie, there are many mentions of "the wrong Alice" giving the viewer the impression that this Alice isn't the same one that was there earlier, which is a bit distracting. The movie moves along nicely and is quite enjoyable other than the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) sometimes losing his cool and speaking in a Scottish accent that is very difficult to understand.
Many of the amazing creatures found in "Underland" are created exclusively in CGI, such as the Cheshire Cat and the Blue Caterpillar. While most of the other characters are simply "Bobble-heads" which are nothing more than live actors heads on CGI bodies. If you can bring yourself to see past the ruined Wonderland/Underland and look forward to a new adventure for Alice, then you will have no problem with the graphics Burton and his team have created.
Bottom line is this: the movie isn't for young children under 6-7 years old due to the subject matter being a bit more advanced than the first Alice in Wonderland. I would honestly suggest watching one of the many first renditions of the movie since I believe Tim Burton's creation within the franchise, while still entertaining, needs the foundation from the original to make total sense. And honestly, I had forgotten about many small details, such as why there is a field mouse at all.
All in all, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. And save your extra money and don't bother in 3D. The effects that the glasses give out aren't worth the hassle.
