Alice in Wonderland: A Mini Review
Photograph by Abby Powell - Gocco print by me
This past Friday I decided to go with my daughter to see the new Alice in Wonderland movie. I really like Tim Burton's work (though on the dark side) and had found the preview to be a tad on the overwhelming side for a kid (not surprising), but decided to chance it just the same. I purchased our tickets online but didn't find out until shortly before we were going to leave for the theater, that the film was in 3-D. I really became nervous at that point...not knowing if my daughter would be able to make it through a Burton film where things popped out of the screen at her. We agreed that we would leave the theater at any time if she became scared or overwhelmed and off we went.
A couple hours later we both walked out of the theater happy as clams. I adored the costume designs and seeing the film in 3-D really made me feel like a kid again (with all the wonder and magic that it brings). Those good things said, I also want to add that I don't really agree with the PG rating and would not personally take any child younger than around 10 to see the film. There was quite a lot of gore (decapitated heads floating in blood, eyeballs being plucked out, etc) and most of the film is pretty intense/action packed. I would recommend the film to anyone who is a Burton film fan...and gently suggest that parent's of younger children screen the movie first to determine if it is suitable for their youngster or not.
If you have seen Alice in Wonderland already...what did you think? I'd love to know. xo Ez
10 Lovely Comments | Email Article | found in About Me / My Shops Print Article | Share This | 
| by Ez Monday, March 8, 2010 
Reader Comments (10)
Hello Ez!
My boyfriend took me to Alice last saturday. I really couldn't wait to see it! I was expecting it since months!
I think it is visually stunning. Johnny Depp (special praise!!!) and Helena Bonham-Carter and Mia Wasikowska (and all the cast really) are amazing. The costumes and specially the make up absolutely perfect and so creative and whimsical (the mad hatter is really something memorable!). Superb special effects.
...
But... With all this...
...I have to say I was slightly disappointed... Not the quality in the storyline and not the "poetry" I would have expected from one of my favorite directors at work on one of my favorite tales... :(
For example, don't you think that the Disney masterpiece gets and conveys better the athmosphere and the magic of the novel? (I know it's very different type of movie and different era in the cinema history, I know I know!). Furthermore, I understand that "nonsense" is normal in Wonderland, but still sometimes the action was not very clear to me...
Said so, a real visual feast and fabulous eyecandy! I'm happy you girls enjoyed it too! :)
Ah, my favorite scene: the piglet one! ;)
Ciao!
I'll follow this thread I'm curious to know what your readers think as well!
oh, i can't wait to see it!
We took three grandchildren to see it, aged 11, 9 and 4. All loved it and not even the 4 year old was scared. She just didn't wear the 3-D glasses all the time. The Cheshire Cat was a favorite.
Thanks for the review! My daughters want to go see it- ages 10 and 7. I was worried that it may be too much for my 7 year old. Looks like I'll have to screen it first!! : )
Thanks for the review! The trailers for the movie have looked interesting. We've been wondering if we should take Mark, and it sounds like it would be okay for him. decapitated heads? floating eyeballs? hey that's everyday stuff around here! :)
(well, not really, but I'm sure it's no worse) Love you!
I went on Saturday with my husband and our 19 months old baby (didn`t have a sitter and we really wanted to watch it).. it was 3D so she watched it kind a blurry so it was fine.. I loved it! even posted about it today http://thiliblooms.blogspot.com/2010/03/update-on-purple-blooms-and-life.html
I loved the white horse dressed in lace !! And the mad hatter attelier!? loved the costumes..
I agree it`s not a movie for kids (but my baby didn`t mind it she even giggled and laughed..)
have a wonderful week :)
I definitely agree that it's not for kids, but my friends and I all loved it too. Definitely a better adaptation than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! At least, up until the end when Johnny Depp started dancing...that was just plain weird. And I couldn't help but marvel at how seamless all the varying character effects were!
Do you know why he was called the "Mad Hatter"? When they fashioned tophats made of animal skins, typically beaver, the hatter would dip his hands in mercury to cure the skin and the mercury would enter the central nervous system and the hatter would eventually go "mad", insane.
I loved the movie, and i'm not really a huge 3d fan (headaches) but this one wasn't as hard for me to "see" as Avatr. I have a toddler son, and while I didn't take him to this, I might have if he was a few years older, but I hadn't even thought about the eye being popped out part! I'd probably realize my folly as we were sitting there. I think it is all dependent on the kid, too. I know my 8 year old stepson would love it and think nothing of the "gore" knowing it was for a movie, but I know some other kids that would take it very hard, too.
I loved the costumes and thought for a Burton film it wasn't nearly as dark as I was expecting, which was nice.
I've yet to see it. but I'll probably wait till after it's dvd release
since I barely have the time or money to go catch a movie :/