Movie Review Rewind: Alice In Wonderland (2010)

Share This Post

Alice In Wonderland is a story we all know, and this version is Tim Burton‘s version which means it is going to be creepy, dark, fun, and twisted. Burton’s Wonderland looks amazing onscreen. Wonderland (aka Underland) looks beautiful, dazzling, and stunning. However, the movie itself is not. The team of Burton and Johnny Depp have brought us incredible stories from all different places: Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sleepy Hollow, and Sweeney Todd. But those worlds seem much more fascinating than Wonderland. Is it possible this movie was just over-hyped? I believe so.

This Alice In Wonderland focuses on Alice (Mia Wasikowska), who is about to leave her teenage years behind and possibly get married. Alice is practically forced to marry an obnoxious, nerdy man with a digestive problem. So she runs away following a rabbit with a suit on and do you blame her? Alice falls down the rabbit hole again and enters the world of Wonderland. Alice does not remember that she has been there before. She believes it is all a dream and that she will wake up at a certain point.

However, everyone in Wonderland has been waiting for her return and for her to end the Red Queen’s (Helena Bonham Carter) terror and defeat the Jabberwocky with a special sword. But hopefully they have the right Alice. I’m sure you can already guess that they do, but Alice does not believe so.

The movie has a great cast and Wasikowska is a delightful Alice. She fits the role as a girl turning into a woman. She is an oddball who speaks her mind and does not follow tradition. In a lot of ways, she is a rebellion. Wasikowska has found a great role to breakout in and she is a very talented actress. Depp as the Mad Hatter is a fun character. He seems to have had a great time being crazy and having a lot of freedom with where he takes this role.

My complaint about Mad Hatter is that he doesn’t really serve a purpose and has more scenes not because he adds importance to them, but so Depp can be on screen more. Look – I don’t blame Burton for showing off Depp as the Mad Hatter. It makes perfect sense from that perspective, but really it’s irrelevant as far as the story goes.

There is a talented cast that surrounds Wasikowska and Depp. Some are actual people such as Carter as the Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, and Crispin Glover as Knave. Then we have those who lend their voices (Michael Sheen as White Rabbit, Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat, and Alan Rickman as the caterpillar). It’s great to see all of these familiar characters that make up the world of Wonderland, but there is a definite lack of interest and excitement.

As I said before, Wonderland itself looks great. The CGI and EFX that were used to create this fantasy world are top-notch. The scenery and colors make Wonderland look and feel like you are in a dream. So the movie has a unique and creative look that cannot be ignored. I just wish I would have been as enthralled with the story as I was in the visuals.

Alice In Wonderland is an interesting movie experience. You think you will get something refreshing yet unusual due to Burton’s direction and creation of a story we all know.  You hope Depp will bring something brilliantly weird to this movie and to its story. However, most of that never happens. You spend most of your time waiting for it and before you know it the movie is over.

The feeling I have was that the movie was good but not great. You definitely know it is a Burton movie, but there seems to be a lack of emotion and the movie feels dull. I don’t want to say it, but I think Alice In Wonderland is the first big movie of 2010 that ended up being a disappointment. There was potential, but just like that Cheshire Cat, it disappears.

“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.

Check out the SoBros Shop. Subscribe to our Patreon. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Listen on SoundCloud. Watch on YouTube.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore