Burton’s latest almost a ‘Wonderland’

Sean Collins-Smith

Staff Writer

Neither a sequel nor a prequel, “Alice in Wonderland” is another one of director Tim Burton’s infamous re-imaginings. He often revamps popular works, to varied effect: see “Planet of the Apes” for a misfire, or “Sleepy Hollow” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” for faithful renditions. With “Alice,” he lands somewhere in the middle.

Like in most films Burton undertakes, he’s crafted landscapes and character designs that are far-and-away some of the coolest things you’ll see in a theater this year. Sadly, the film is marred by creaky effects that end up being distracting to the viewer; hindering what might have been a more solid remake.

The film begins 13 years after the events of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Now all grown up and being forced into a marriage she doesn’t want, Alice (played gracefully by newcomer Mia Wasikowska) starts remembering her strange experiences as a child. She dismisses them as dreams, until the White Rabbit starts making appearances at her engagement party. Alice follows him and again travels down the rabbit hole, slowly remembering the events in her past.

No doubt some might be disappointed that this isn’t a straight telling of Caroll’s popular fantasy. However, considering there were more than a dozen film adaptations in the last century, it isn’t that much of a loss. This grants Burton and screenwriter Linda Woolverton some flexibility with the characters’ arcs, adding and subtracting things as they see fit. It works rather well, giving each creature and person their opportunity to shine.

Helena Bonham Carter, as the Red Queen, comes closest to stealing the show. With her bulbous head and deliciously autocratic cries (she can often be heard yelling, “Off with his head!”) she is quite possibly the best character Bonham has played yet. Johnny Depp goes psychedelic and is as potent as ever, going in and out of a manic accent and proclaiming to Alice, in the film’s best line delivery, that when the White Queen returns, “I shall Futterwacken—vigorously.”

The voice talent is superb, with the likes of Christopher Lee (Jabberwock), Alan Rickman (the Blue Caterpillar), Michael Sheen (the White Rabbit) and the glorious Stephen Fry (Cheshire Cat) all adding authenticity to their characters.

“Alice’s” one misstep is in one of the effects themselves. While most come across as magical, some are rigid and outright distracting. Crispin Glover, as the Knave of Hearts, gives a good performance, but his animation at times is so bad that it seems incomplete. His character’s movements are unnatural, with his arms and legs moving unlike anyone else’s in the movie.

The effect Burton was going for – the Knave has elongated limbs – would have been better suited with James Cameron’s motion capture system, which so flawlessly transformed Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington into the limber Na’vi. As it is, the Knave seems completely computer generated.

Other than that, the effects are marvelous, from the playing cards that guard the Red Queen to the chess pieces that guard the White Queen, Burton’s knack for imaginative sets and character design come through un-tethered (the film’s budget: a whopping $200 million).

“Alice” further cements Burton as a wielder of magnificent color palettes; as Wonderland, home to an amalgam of grays, reds and blues, transports the viewer to a truly otherworldly land.

Grade: B

“Alice in Wonderland” is rated PG for mild violence (and a couple eye removals). Now playing in IMAX 3D, 3D and standard 2D.