Zebraspots"Alice" still enchants
May 17th 2010 03:44
The stars and the moon
With Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland still going strong in theatres, I thought it was time for a tribute to the older versions as well as review this new one.
The new version is more of a sequel. It should not be allowed to stand alone as it is the child of Burton and Carroll: They both need to hold its hand as it crosses the street from Hollywood to Blockbuster. Alice in Underland would have been a perfectly suitably title.
The creatures are so imaginative and I love them dearly. I realize some illustrations were offered in the novels, but some left it completely up to the readers. After being jaded by Avatar, any creature that are more creative than thievery from planet earth (we all must admit that all the animals look a lot like Earth on LSD) is intellectually rewarding.
Johnny Depp gave another stunning performance and one of his better ones of this decade I believe. The Hatter was simultaneously grieved and joyous, insane and rational, and always courageous in movement and action.
Mia Wasikowska was also fun to watch. While she has not had a lot of roles, she performed very well. Her mixture of ignorance of what is going on around her and her curiosity form into a loving character that is not annoying, as many modern actresses can come across as when they are stuck with the "be yourself" moral to thrust at the audience.
Overall, it is unmissable for Burton fans, but something to be approached with caution if you are a die hard Alice in Wonderland fan. Things like the Jabberwock need a certain amount of invention, but it may have gone the wrong direction in its evolution.
Alice first began her trip to the curious Wonderland in 1865 with the publication of the book by Lewis Carroll. The nonsense stories of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There have since become beloved classics. It now has a well-deserved place of honor on literary shelves, but has also worked it way onto the silver screen in over two dozen interpretations.
Most are familiar with the plot line: Alice follows a white rabbit down a rabbit hole and soon finds herself consorting with a pipe-smoking caterpillar, taking part in a Caucus race, and drinking tea with a March Hare. Often times, the stories of Wonderland and Looking-Glass are combined in the film versions.
A personal favorite is the 1999 film with the predictable title Alice in Wonderland boasting big names like Martin Short (Mad Hatter) and Whoopi Goldberg (Cheshire Cat). The characters are all beautifully portrayed with the aid of computer graphics, make-up, and, of course, the skill of the actors.
The film is a very big step up from the Disney interpretation, not only doubling the running time, but giving a more in-depth view of each event and adding a life lesson for the audience to walk away with. The quadruple-Emmy winner (costume design, makeup, music composition, and visual effects) has many elements of fantasy to amaze every sense and boggle the mind into wonder. How can they fit so many odd creatures and ideas into one movie without overwhelming a person? It is simple curiosity. What will happen next?
Tina Majorino plays Alice and seems so innocent and lost in this land of the Queen of Hearts and the Mock Turtle. She is not particularly eye-catching, but that is because Wonderland is the focus, not Alice; what she learns is more important then what she does.
A lovely addition to the film is in the spirit of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. The more prominent Wonderland characters are in the "real" world as well. The Mad Hatter looks shockingly like a guest at her mother's party; the Frogface footman appears to be a waiter at the dinner. It is a fantastic symmetry and helps illustrate the connection of imagination to life experiences. One cannot imagine a world different from our own without knowing ours first.
With Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland still going strong in theatres, I thought it was time for a tribute to the older versions as well as review this new one.
The new version is more of a sequel. It should not be allowed to stand alone as it is the child of Burton and Carroll: They both need to hold its hand as it crosses the street from Hollywood to Blockbuster. Alice in Underland would have been a perfectly suitably title.
The creatures are so imaginative and I love them dearly. I realize some illustrations were offered in the novels, but some left it completely up to the readers. After being jaded by Avatar, any creature that are more creative than thievery from planet earth (we all must admit that all the animals look a lot like Earth on LSD) is intellectually rewarding.
Johnny Depp gave another stunning performance and one of his better ones of this decade I believe. The Hatter was simultaneously grieved and joyous, insane and rational, and always courageous in movement and action.
Mia Wasikowska was also fun to watch. While she has not had a lot of roles, she performed very well. Her mixture of ignorance of what is going on around her and her curiosity form into a loving character that is not annoying, as many modern actresses can come across as when they are stuck with the "be yourself" moral to thrust at the audience.
Overall, it is unmissable for Burton fans, but something to be approached with caution if you are a die hard Alice in Wonderland fan. Things like the Jabberwock need a certain amount of invention, but it may have gone the wrong direction in its evolution.
You need to be mad as a Hatter.
Alice first began her trip to the curious Wonderland in 1865 with the publication of the book by Lewis Carroll. The nonsense stories of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There have since become beloved classics. It now has a well-deserved place of honor on literary shelves, but has also worked it way onto the silver screen in over two dozen interpretations.
Most are familiar with the plot line: Alice follows a white rabbit down a rabbit hole and soon finds herself consorting with a pipe-smoking caterpillar, taking part in a Caucus race, and drinking tea with a March Hare. Often times, the stories of Wonderland and Looking-Glass are combined in the film versions.
A personal favorite is the 1999 film with the predictable title Alice in Wonderland boasting big names like Martin Short (Mad Hatter) and Whoopi Goldberg (Cheshire Cat). The characters are all beautifully portrayed with the aid of computer graphics, make-up, and, of course, the skill of the actors.
The film is a very big step up from the Disney interpretation, not only doubling the running time, but giving a more in-depth view of each event and adding a life lesson for the audience to walk away with. The quadruple-Emmy winner (costume design, makeup, music composition, and visual effects) has many elements of fantasy to amaze every sense and boggle the mind into wonder. How can they fit so many odd creatures and ideas into one movie without overwhelming a person? It is simple curiosity. What will happen next?
Tina Majorino plays Alice and seems so innocent and lost in this land of the Queen of Hearts and the Mock Turtle. She is not particularly eye-catching, but that is because Wonderland is the focus, not Alice; what she learns is more important then what she does.
A lovely addition to the film is in the spirit of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. The more prominent Wonderland characters are in the "real" world as well. The Mad Hatter looks shockingly like a guest at her mother's party; the Frogface footman appears to be a waiter at the dinner. It is a fantastic symmetry and helps illustrate the connection of imagination to life experiences. One cannot imagine a world different from our own without knowing ours first.
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