Cool News
Capone is dazzled and frustrated by Tim Burton's version of ALICE IN WONDERLAND!!!
Hey, everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
It's right and good that folks get excited each time director Tim Burton and his male muse Johnny Depp work together, but here's the worst kept secret about their creative partnering: the more special effects, make-up, and intentional wackiness they pile on to a particular film, the less successful it is as art. I don't think I'll get too much push-back on saying that ED WOOD and EDWARD SCISSORHANDS are their best (and earliest) collaborations. And since they made those two films, they've been trying to recapture some sort of elusive, creepy magic that usually results in something entertaining but not sustained greatness. I don't have an overwhelming need to revisit CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY the way I do their initial pairings (perhaps unfairly, I'm excluding CORPSE BRIDE, which I love, from this discussion). SWEENEY TODD is probably the closest they've come to brandishing the kind of goth greatness audiences are hoping for, but ALICE IN WONDERLAND (barely based on the Lewis Carroll books) is an entirely different creature altogether, one that I both appreciate and struggled with. I'll tell you right off the bat, I'm split about as close down the middle on this film as I possibly can be. If you want to hear why, keep reading.
First and foremost, Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter character isn't even close to the most interesting thing about ALICE. If anything, I felt like the normally reliable screenwriter Linda Woolverton (who had a hand in writing such works as BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LION KING, MULAN, and HOMEWARD BOUND) took a crowbar to her script, pried open her plot, and forced the Hatter into the story in as many places as she possibly could, regardless of whether him being in those scenes improved the film at all. Depp will always be interesting, and he has an uncanny gift at making us feel something about even the most devious and loopy characters he's inhabited. But I just didn't take to the Mad Hatter the way I was supposed to. Maybe I was distracted/blinded by the hair, makeup and costume choices for the character, but I never got more than a surface interest in Depp's creation.
The good news is that there are far more interesting characters to choose from, beginning with Alice (Mia Wasikowska, who broke my soul open with her performance on HBO's "In Treatment"). I like the choice to make this version of Alice a nearly 20-year-old version of the little girl who made the trip down the rabbit hole and into an insane asylum cluttered with drug addicts and sadists (that's how I always saw it). In her world, she is in the midst of being forced into a marriage with a true toad of a man who insists that any fanciful thoughts she might have should be kept internalized. What a dick. I think Alice stands in for female writers of her time, who see the world in different terms but society is squashing the creativity out of at every turn. I was quite taken with the bookends of this ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and I can't imagine every little girl with half a brain in her head wouldn't want to turn into this woman, tired of doing what others expect.
I also found myself craving more of the animals characters, voiced by a who's who of some of Britain's greatest acting talents, including Michael Sheen as the prim and proper White Rabbit, Matt Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Alan Rickman as the Blue Caterpillar (never without his hookah pipe), Timothy Spall as the loyal bloodhound Bayard, the unmistakeable Christopher Lee as the Jabberwocky, and my favorite voice performance, Stephen Fry as the vaporous Cheshire Cat. I could have watched an entire movie just about him and been peachy.
Compared to some of the overdone human performances, the non-human characters in ALICE IN WONDERLAND are downright placid and far more interesting. The unholy pairing of the Queen of Hearts and the Knave of Hearts (Helena Bonham Carter with an enormous head, and Crispin Glover with a heart-shaped eye patch) seem to mistake yelling and overacting with being evil. Nope, it's just loud. The effect of Bonham Carter's huge noggin is phenomenal and seamless as an effect, but the character is such an underachieving villain that I got bored with her after about five minutes. You can only hear "Off with his/her head!" so many times before you realize it's an empty threat. And I'm starting to feel bad for Glover, who I'm afraid is getting cast these days just to capture the weird vibe. Trouble is, he's not required to do anything particularly weird in this movie. Faring slightly better is the underdeveloped White Queen (Anne Hathaway), whose graceful movements in public are actually just an act for her subjects; she doesn't mind getting down and dirty if she has to. I wanted to see that side of her come out a bit more; alas, this isn't her story. Hathaway is a strong enough actress (when she isn't wasting our time with films like BRIDE WARS) to breathe the necessary life into her character.
The screening of ALICE IN WONDERLAND I went to was in IMAX 3-D, which is kind of critical. I can't imagine liking the things I liked about this movie nearly as much without those elements. Sure, it's a gimmick, but it's a gimmick that kept me interested long past when I might have been seeing this in standard 2-D projection. What stuck me almost as soon as Alice arrives in Wonderland was that the landscapes were less scary versions of the Pandora landscapes (and creatures) from AVATAR. Turns out the same designer, Robert Stromberg, did both films. Great news for us, but a little strange to see both films so close together.
Being so split on characters that work and ones that don't, I turned to the story to give me guidance as to whether I should recommend ALICE IN WONDERLAND or not, but that isn't much help either. As I mentioned, the bookends about Alice the young woman in polite society is good stuff, and a lot of the material concerning her return to Wonderland is okay, but did we really need the battlefield antics (so like the Narnia films, it frightened me) to close out the show? The answer is No. It feels obvious and lazy. I wanted a more satisfying showdown between the Red and White queens; Bonham Carter and Hathaway in a sisterly cat fight should be a bit more interesting (and maybe a touch on the sexy side?). If I had a gun to my head and had to choose whether to recommend ALICE IN WONDERLAND, I'd give in to the kids in my screening, who were clearly enjoying the hell out of this movie and all its three-dimensional splendor. In the end, they will be the ones to make or break this film, and I know they'll want to see this one over and over again. Even I wouldn't mind watching it one more time just to take in some of the rich special effects and vibrant 3-D. As a visual art, the film is an unbridled surreal success; as classic storytelling with richly drawn characters and contemplative plot, eh, not so much.
-- Capone
therealcapone@aintitcoolmail.com
Follow Me On Twitter
-
+ Expand All
-
Burton, lately seems to be just fine with sacrificing story and characters for visual flair. Shame
-
My life is forever changed, I was first poster in a TB....odd how it feels no different than if I am the 357th poster.....I guess it's the small minds that are so enthralled when they can type....FIRST...lol
-
Style over substance indeed...
-
Mar 05, 2010 7:30:18 AM CST
trailer reminds me of the all the worst parts of Star Wars prequ
by tenenbaum
And the "style over substance" critique seems to be supporting my reservations with this film. Looks like this one will be a rental.
-
From the Depp/Hatter character to the Helena Bonham Carter small-headed queen. It looks to be great eye candy, but I think that's also going to be one of the reasons people may not enjoy the story. I agree with Tenenbaum. Star Wars is all visual, no plot. I see the same problem here.
-
Guy can't tell an effective narrative to save his life. (Exceptions: Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Ed Wood, Big Fish).
-
I really really dug the hell out of Avatar for its visual displays. Its story, not so much. But I'm an SFX junkie so it sounds like I'll like this at least for that.
-
Burton trying to be weird for the sake of being weird. Terry Gilliam has that weird vibe to his work but it doesn't feel forced to me. But Burton always feels like he's trying to hard to out-weird himself. His visual style is always gothed out. He went to the well too many times in my opinion...
-
and they just covered it up with 3d and imax shots?
-
I like Tim Burton's movies and I like Alice in Wonderland, and I like the idea of an older Alice returning ... But this LOOKS like shit. The Cheshire Cat looks like Garfield for fuck's sake.
-
I definitely got MUCH more out of that than I did Massa's review.
-
That is not a director. Get some decent scripts. Like, remember when you did Edward Scissorhands, and the story was really good in addition to the pretty pictures? Now go back and watch Sleepy Hollow, Charlie, and Alice. Not so hot.
-
Who actually talks that melodramatically? It was a TV show and she was good in it. Big deal.
-
Capone, if you'd read the original "Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland" novel, you would know that the Queen's "Off with their head" outcries are empty threats. In fact, the Gryphon tells Alice "It's all her fancy: she never executes nobody, you know." The films interpretation of her character appears to be fairly accurate (despite the fact that, like the original Disney, the've combined the characters of the Queen of Hearts from"'Wonderland", and the Red Queen from "Through the Looking Glass").
-
This is going to be one of those accidental movies I end up seeing down the road. From the trailers I've seen, I have 0% interest in it. Nothing about it is making me want to see it...even out of curiosity. This will end up being one of those movies I watch on HBO a year or two from now because I've lost the controller and am too lazy to get up and change the channel. From the trailers I've seen, it just reminds me of Willy Wonka and how it tried too hard visually and how it tried to hard to be wacky, making it over the top bad.
-
College Humour just did a brilliant smackdown sketch about Tim Burton. (Has anyone else posted it?) The man is a predictable, crashing bore. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dyGpCrFdX4
-
With every new trailer I've become less interested. The film just doesn't seem to have any juice.
-
...deliberately clunky effects from the BEETLEJUICE and SCISSORHANDS days. I think he needs the resistance of physically making things.
-
Everything above is how I felt leaving the theater... I'm glad Capone didn't just call it a "love it or hate it" type deal. It's a confusing mixed bag with interesting visuals.
-
In Fear and Loathing
-
Mar 05, 2010 9:01:56 AM CST
...this is going to be one of those movies that I don't see...
by flickapoo
...because it doesn't seem worth it. A few years from now I'll end up seeing it at home with rock-bottom expectations...and end up liking it better than expected...and kinda wish I saw it in a proper theater when it first came out. But it'll be too late.
Still doesn't seem worth a half hour drive and 13 bucks though. -
The advent of CG has been an unwelcome addition to Burton's style. The need to CG is for everything to be as pristine and engineered as possible, and Burton works his best stuff with models and quirky set pieces (like those awesome hedge sculptures in Edward Scissorhands.) I think Burton needs to leave behind this kind of fantasy storytelling for a while and try and do something along the lines of Big Fish. The family drama moments in that movie were quite heartrending.
-
someone needs to take him aside and rein him in. I'm looking at you Johnny Depp
-
...when I saw it, but I was a little buzzed and sentimental by the end.Being buzzed and sentimental doesn't usually cloud my judgment, but I should probably make sure it holds up in the cold light of morning.
-
Also "I'm split about as close down the middle on this film as I possibly can be." which means it has failed.
-
and Pee wee's big adventure. Those where the days.
-
and gravy poured out.
-
...he needs to get his eye of the tiger back, and WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE is strong medicine.
-
Wow that was a really contrived review. I always forget that the people that write reviews on this site are just fans and for the most part really bad Sci Fi fans.
Look, this whole forced backlash against Tim is really getting tiresome. My kids want to see it and that’s how most of you were when you liked Burton, kids.
So be a kid again stop trying to feel important about yourself and just enjoy a freaking fantasy movie for Christ sake.
Oh, and the original Tron was awful along with The Goonies so please Hollywood stop cramming all this forced nostalgia down our throats.
-
I only saw it once, years ago, but I recall loving it at the time. Good call, Flicka, gonna have to put that one in the NetFlix queue.
-
You trash Capone for writing a review which contains his OPINION, when you haven't even seen the film yourself. Wow, what a dick. I guess you've already decided you are gonna love it, huh? Why don't you grow the hell up and think about the meaning of "different strokes for different folks."Whatchutalkinbout, Willis?
-
I will always be fond of his stuff, to a degree, but most of his recent films are soulless. He doesn't have anything to say anymore - gone is the hungry man of EDWARD SCISSORHAND, ED WOOD, BEETLEJUICE, BIG FISH. I know a lot of people shit on Spielberg because they hate awesome for some reason - but the 'berg has never stopped trying. Burton needs to have a MUNICH moment where he grows up - nothing about him has evolved beyond his first films, and when your best work comes at the beginning of your career, it can be argued you've just stopped trying. Burton was once capable of making something unique and odd and charming and deeply felt - honestly, it now feels like he's just cribbing off his younger self and has nothing invested but studio money.
-
...I work in a creative field, and I'm trying to figure out a "MUNICH moment" for myself just now...it isn't easy.
-
Actually TRON and The Goonies were great and still enjoyable movies. Partially b/c they're a lot of fun, especially The Goonies. Yeah I was young and saw TRON in theaters, played it in the arcades (I might be rich if I had all those quarters back), but that doesn't change that many of us still find the movie to be great.
I'm just hoping Legacy lives up to its promise. -
...It made sense... no talk of numbers and puzzles... also even the headline made sense to me... TEAM CAPONE
-
Did I really get called a dick (dude check out what I just told this guy on AICN) for having an opinion about a persons opinion?
That’s the kind of lemming mentality I’ve come to expect from the site.
-
...Not a big fan post JP i guess, but the scene in War of the Worlds when they were escapin in the van from the tripods was nice... actually that whole first two acts was nice until Robbins shotgunned his way into the movie...
-
I think it's just a matter of saying something honestly, with feeling. With Burton I feel his films have gotten almost cynically stylized, to the point of parody - only not self aware. He doesn't seem inspired. I don't think it's a moment you can force - it just happens when you are honest and mean to say. MUNICH works because it plays against most of Spielberg's output while at the same time being recognizably a Spielberg film. I saw that film as the 'berg saying, "I am always me, and never me."Knobules is exactly right - except I disagree about Indy4. Despite the fact that it remains one of the dumbest things in the history of ever, the sequence with the A-Bomb is one of my favourte moments in the series - not the fridge, but Indy walking up the hill with the mushroom cloud blooming in the distance. The rest of the film be damned - I feel Spielberg MEANT that moment very sincerely.
-
Nah man, you get called a dick because you're stupid and it's garbaging up our, like, considered discourse with your desperate need to perform.
-
I don't think anyone called you a dick. And I agree with you about Tron. Not as good as most people seem to remember, although I have high hopes for the sequel later this year. The Goonies, however, is sacrament. It might have something to do with the age you were when you first saw it, but for most of us, it's still an awesomely entertaining movie and the type of children's film that doesn't get made anymore. I'm talking about children's films that allow kids to make a drug joke or cuss or even look up a girls skirt.
-
Tron Legacy looks kind of cool I have to admit and I’ll take the kids to see it but the pacing and feel of the original was dull and lackluster. The Goonies, gak don't get me started. It was loud mess at best with Spielberg’s fingerprints all over it (and yes I like Richard Donner).
The forced nostalgia (plus the soaking by Hollywood of shitty 3D) just keeps coming though with the Smurfs.
-
You got called a dick. I missed that post. My bad.
-
...put the asian kid from Tropic Thunder and black kid from Role Models...and maybe Hitgirl too... those kids ARE the future...
-
...That was funny...
-
I thought Sweeney Todd was a fucking stunning picture and it wasn't because of the goth look, but the organic nature of the musical sequences and terrific performances from the entire cast. But, then again, I also kind of liked Charlie and the Chocolate Factory so I may be an unabashed Burton-phile.
-
No point in the film did the 3D add anything. With the tired "I'm so strange" Burton production design it actually made it even less appealing.
-
"I'm talking about children's films that allow kids to make a drug joke or cuss or even look up a girls skirt."
I have to agree with you there I have a three and seven year old and I was watching The Monster Squad (before I get slammed for showing a seven year old Monster Squad I used to make monsters for a living so my kids are used to the process) with the seven year old last month and on a few scenes I thought damn I forgot what they used to get away with back then. We really have watered films down for kids. Key point, the removal of guns in ET. Even my seven year old daughter knows that was unnecessary. -
All the original actors doing their thing as adults, but some of them are parents now. And when they're kids go off in search of a wacky adventure, the Goonies must re-unite to track them down.
-
Now that was funny.
I am more of an asshole than a dick. -
Agreed about WOTW but i fell apart for me when people stopped to talk about personal problems when the entire freaking world is coming apart around them.
-
is Tim's best and not one speck of noticeable CG.
-
To be fair- the tired look is mostly in the way the human actors were made up especially Depp. The cards, the animals and creatures were well done. Depp seemed to be from an older Burton film thrust into this one.
-
There was this book I picked up at B&N sometime ago title Killing Monsters. It was a psychological study on the childhood need, particularly with young boys, to confront fantastical danger in order to properly develop. When we were kids, films didn't have any qualms about being marketed to children even though a character will die in it and possibly cause traumatized crying in the movie theater. The films of yesteryear never had to worry about whether or not a kid will be too scared by a movie made for them. In most cases, that was what the films were for. To scare the kids. The make them cry. To generate a reaction that forces them to liken their experience to the world around them. Anymore, the films that we show to kids are about nothing more than placating them for awhile so that they're not annoying their parents.
-
I'll happily agree with you that removing the guns in ET was stupid as hell. Not quite Greedo shooting first stupid, but right up there. Monster Squad = "Wolfman has nards!" right? Saw that in theaters too and it was just a fun movie.
My kids enjoy The Goonies and I would much rather be watching The Goonies or any of the Back to the Future's w/my 4 1/2 yr old than Wubzy or Barney :)
PG in general>Remember, Gremlins was a PG film. I think it would probably be PG-13 today, but it didnt' exist yet. PG is a much less flexible rating nowadays.
Lotharius, there have been rumors of a new Goonies film for the last few years, including a storyline of a new group of Goonies frequenting Data's shop and then they have to save the oriinal Goonies. -
I've always liked that one. The design of the tree and and the scarecrows and the windmill were classic Burton.
-
After Avatar they're gonna have to step their game up because the 3D felt tiresome and halfway.
-
Saw a midnight showing and was utterly unimpressed. *spoiler* Depp does a dance at the end that just ruined any last chance at liking it for me. Of course I was falling asleep during a few parts so maybe it would be better if I saw it again....
-
...love for a GOONIES sequel to really deal with what the grownup kids are like today...their relationship to their fantastical childhood adventures...success or disappointment in life etc...We've seen that sort of thing in a superficial and cliche' form, but I can't think of too many fun and solid treatments.
-
...It was a GOOD Burton movie, mostly due to Depps performance... havent seen a grown man use a kid as a shield before (have seen a grown man use a kid as a destructive yoyo)...
-
....I nicknamed my fro Rufio... and come on! a fat kid bowlin ball!
-
I really liked that movie when I saw it and I still find it visually fascinating. Hoffman's performance was gleeful and and the lost boys were fun. Julia Roberts was annoying though and Rufio was an idiot. I hated the whole skateboarding X-Gen lost boy thing.
-
God he's really pissed me off with his spoilerific review today.
-
would see Corey Feldman and Martha Plimpton in a love/hate marriage that is on the verge of ending at any moment.
-
Wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. Batman was interesting, BR sucked (penguins dragging DeVito off at the end ruined what was mediocre already...), Scissorhands was interesting, Beetlejuice was weird, but kinda cool. Planet of the Apes was meh. Chocolate Factory sucked. Weird for weird's sake. Alice looks the same as CF. When I saw Depp all weirded out, it was like "Look at how weird we made Alice in Wonderland! The mad hatter is twisted! Yeah!" I'll skip it...
-
That thing in Harry's review about the resolution with the Jabberwock was a blind side.
-
...NARNIA's Susan, all grown up and...um, estranged from her family...looking back on her adventures, and life in the real world...
-
I hate Harry's Alice review.
-
...Sure its a deviation, but i love the ballroom scene when the two realize theyre enemies... best Bruce Wayne scene ever (best Batman scene probably the Joker interrogation or the Hong Kong scene)
-
Yes the remake of Planet of the Apes was bad but don’t hold it against him. He directed it under protest as part of a deal so he could make the films he wanted to.
You have to admit there were some first rate makeups on that show even if the little monkeys didn’t have colored contact lenses. -
I don’t know what all the love is about for Edward Scissorhands either. The film fell apart in the second half but it really lost me earlier than that when I was distracted by Anthony Michael Halls action van.
-
" it's garbaging up our, like, considered discourse with your desperate need to perform."
Blackwood, nice haiku. -
You nailed Hollywood in a nutshell.
-
I love Depp but all the trailers, posters, etc. That i've seen lead me to believe that Burton was shoehorning Johnny Depp into this movie in another attempt to capture that magic. Burton is great at many things but one thing he doesn't seem to understand is the value of finding of NEW and UNIQUE actors to break the molds and create something truly unique.
Burton tries SOO hard to be unique but always ends up casting the same big name actor. Which never ceases to shatter any suspension of disbelief. Not to mention feel forced. -
But even the make-up/wardrobe screamed Burton. Ever since Batman, Burton has that matte finish to a lot of objects in his scenes, his wardrobes, everything. The batmobile's exagerated tailfins, Batman's armor, Apes' helmets, the list goes on. It's a style he seems to have used over and over. Goth. I say move on. OK. Weird. I get it. Art? Not after the umpteenth variation of a theme...
-
I simply cannot put into words how incredibly personally satisfying I found it to watch Johnny Depp KICK CRISPIN GLOVER'S ASS. Astounding. (reposted from Harry's thread.)
-
I can agree with you man and those are all valid points.
The same thing could be said for Disney or Bernini for that matter.
I mean you wouldn't tell either of those guys (if they were alive) "you know what, we've seen all this, enough already"
It's Burtons style, it's his "art".
-
than watch this shit!!
-
But I think it's the weirdness no longer being unique but, rather, a gimmick now that gets me. At least it feels that way to me.
-
yawn
-
Mar 05, 2010 2:45:29 PM CST
Thanks for the Spoiler free review. Teach your boss a thing or t
by mastersofnonepodcast
-
...Will that make me enjoy this film all the more?
-
It's literally his only movie with any real humanity in it. It's almost hard to believe he directed it at times. Every other thing he's done is all production design and weird characterizations--not that that's necessarily bad all the time but he's pretty limited as a filmmaker.
-
Was standing in line for Brooklyn's finest and listening to which Alice people were buying for. In general, the majority of them were simply ignoring the 3D and the $3 extra price tag. This is a movie that was built and promoted with a 2D mindset and people are responding to that. Expect the 3D version to underperform, and not by a little.
-
There's something about her that is just disgusting anymore. I had already felt that way but then I saw her in Terminator and was completely done. How Tim Burton ever left a sexy woman like Lisa Marie for Bonham Carter will be one of the world's eternal mysteries.
-
I know he's done better movies, but nothing beats watching Sleepy Hollow with a bowl of popcorn around Halloween. First dvd I ever owned too.
-
just kooky to be kooky. I don't think I'll bother, I'm sick of his shit by now, utterly one-dimensional (pun intended)
-
Mar 05, 2010 5:37:12 PM CST
Just found out they breakdance at the end of Alice in Wonderland
by orionsangels
Now I don't wanna see it. spill.com
-
Just because you have the biggest toys doesn't mean you make the rules. What I mean by that is film reviewers, whose opinions are tantamount to eternal wisdom in their own minds, do not have the patent on what is good and what is not. We, as mere peons are expected to hang on their every word like it is gospel, whether we agree or not because, after all, would someone who has the "job" of film reviewer ever steer us wrong? (The answer is yes, by the way, simply because they don't see things the way each of us do) Part of the problem of film reviewers is the sheer magnitude of films they see each year. Part is their hubris at thinking because they see more films they know more about what is good and what is bad. (The answer to that is, no they don't) By the way "Off with is head!" is what's called a thematic injection that is supposed to be used more than once as a focal point for the character's motivation or personality. It serves the same purpose as "Book 'em, Danno", or "You look Mahrvelous".
-
I went to see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and I must tell you I went with some trepidation. I mean, how many times can you tell this story?
There is the book by Lewis Carroll, of course, along with "Through the Looking Glass", a theatrical film, a TV movie and countless adaptations.
Hasn't this story been told enough?
Well, in short, the answer is a resounding no. It needed to be told at least one more time and told by the genius of Tim Burton.
To be fair, I must say that I am not a Lewis Carroll fan, and only half a Tim Burton fan. Beetlejuice was great, I liked his take on Batman, Ed Wood, Mars Attacks, Big Fish, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The other films he's made, not so much.
I never liked the "Alice and Wonderland" book, never liked any of the adaptations, except for a fondness for the "Jabberwocky" poem. I found them tedious and bordering on the ludicrous. I know, I know, Carroll was a mathematician who wrote the book as a fantasy about friends of his, loaded with logic puzzles and innuendo, but I just never got it.
Until now, that is.
This Tim Burton version (I should say vision) is different.
The story is superb, the visuals stunning, and the acting impeccable. And this is where we get to the "Sacrilege" part.
This film is better than "Avatar".
I know. Sacrilege.
"Avatar" is also stupendous, it is groundbreaking, it is also stunning to the nth degree, but....
That is part of it's problem. It is a little too stupendous, a little too stunning, a little too cutesy and a lot more happens in "Avatar" than you can keep your eyes on. So much so that it is almost impossible to focus on the story without being blown away by the visuals. In fact, the story seems secondary to the visuals in "Avatar". It's like looking at a painting that moves.
Not so in "Alice". The visuals are stunning, yes, but they are subdued, and they don't overwhelm your senses. They are just part of the story. A magnificent believable part of the story.
Johnny Depp is wondrous. Not over the top like in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or any of the Pirate films but displaying the kind a acting chops he brought to Donnie Brasco and Choclat. (although with more make-up and orange hair)
Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, and Crispin Glover all have their moments and they all do them well. Carter should be nominated for an Oscar just for the way she lifts her eyebrows.
It sounds like I'm gushing. Am I gushing?
I can't help it. I liked this movie.
I liked it better than "Avatar".
I know. Sacrilege.
Cat's can't turn into smoke and drift away, you say? Animals can't talk, you say? The Jabberwock can't kill you because it's not a real creature, you say?
In this film, they can. Oh yes, they can.
I never thought the Navi were real. I never thought any of the spectacular special effects in "Avatar" were real. I thought of more like a Saturday morning cartoon and I could never live in that world.
But Alice's world? I could live there. Easily. -
Then when she grows, her clothes slowly rip off. Then when she shrinks. Her clothes falls off. It would have been a real perverted Alice in Wonderland. What? It's good. Hey, if you don't like it, word to mama mia! It's that crazy L.O. Bia, yo It's my pizzeria! Connected like Sinatra!
The phantom of the opera! The turnstile hopper, Fuck those coppers! It's a Friday night! So bring your hoes and blades cause it's a bar fight! -
do they show it before the film?
-
Box Office Prophets estimated it's weekend at $58.2 Million. Nikki Finke is reporting tonight a $45 million FRIDAY, and possibly $120 for the weekend. That is fucking HUGE. I'm still not seeing it until I hear more feedback. It just looks like CGI shit to me. But I love Burton.
-
"Avatar Avatar Avatar."
He couldn't even take his mouth from the Cock of Cameron long enough to write a review about another movie. Ponce. -
That would be interesting. Depp's Sparrow (which became a tiresome character in number 3) would probably get a new lease of life under Burton's direction. And Alice was OK. I wouldn't do her again, but she did fine on our first night together.
-
...poured over a giant strawberry sundae of Disney goop.
-
Neither of the two leads could sing worth a shit, and Todd is a REAL musical, with a claim to be an great American opera.
-
And WHY does he give pathetic backstories to story-archetypes? Willy Woka is the Pied Piper, leading the children to their moral doom or salvation, he's the king of the Carnival, the reverse monarch of chaos. Do we NEED his to Have a Daddy who didn't like sweets?
Americans don't understand myth. -
As was proved by James and the Giant Peach and Coraline proved. Burton did some nice character designs, but nothing amazing.
-
As was proved by James and the Giant Peach and Coraline. Burton did some nice character designs, but nothing amazing.
-
...it's doesn't nourish you and leaves you feeling sick. Real film isn't candy. Real Art is FOOD.
-
I've heard from Elfman in years. It falls apart a little at the end, but definitely worth the 8 dollar download at Amazon.
-
No Lewis Carroll to be seen here.
-
Every scene that didn't take place in Wonderland I found to be surprisingly involving. The period detail and the catty dialogue was all spot-on. But then Alice (Mia Washikowska is just as good as others have stated) sees the White Rabbit and things go south quickly. Some of the effects are indeed startling and the movie is peppered with good to great performances from a varied gallery of actors in both live action and motion capture. The Eat Me/Drink Me scene was an early highlight, but the movie quickly delves into its "plot." It a seen-it-all-a-hundred-times-before good-vs-evil story where Alice is some sort of Chosen One who must slay the Jabberwocky and save Wonderland for all the bizarre inhabitants. It's all pretty standard and while the visuals are pretty, there's nothing particularly memorable about them. Crispin Glover gives a very dull, needless performance. Johnny Depp quickly reveals himself to be the weakest link in the movie however, with his Mad Hatter sounding good on paper and then coming off as confusing and boring on screen. His Mad Hatter switches accents often, with Scottish being the most common, and the pitch of his voice oscillates wildly between his high-toned Willy Wonka and Mercedes McCambridge's voice from "The Excorcist." That's all well and good, if not terribly original, except that Depp also chooses to mumble every single line like Marlon Brando being injected with horse tranquilizers. The dance in the end that everyone is talking about is certainly a showstopper. The music suddenly becomes a bad hip-hop dance riff and Depp does a computer assisted breakdance/jig while everyone smiles like its the best thing they've ever seen. Awful. on the bright side, Bonham-Carter gives a fun performance, channeling the hauty nature of Queen Elizabeth with a pouty teenager's need for ego stroking. She's one of the best things in the movie and she is matched well in her scenes with Anne Hathaway who gives her character a wistful breeziness that is odd and infectious. I think we can expect to hear a lot from Mia Wasikowska in the future. She is an attractive, interesting actress and she carries most of this movie on her narrow, capable shoulders. This is not Burton's worst film, and I try to remind myself that he followed "Planet of the Apes" with "Big Fish" and that maybe his next movie will be the one we're waiting for. Either way, I think it's time for Depp and Burton to part ways for a while.
-
Don't want to bother posting a link, but search for the fake Burton Weekend at Bernie's trailer. It is an absolutely phenomenal skewering of Burton and Depp. You might need to watch it more than once.
-
I'll do that!
-
This film is aimed at people like me. I’m a lifelong fan of Tim Burton and consider him a genuine “auteur”. I’m a fantasy genre junkie, and I believe that Johnny Depp will ultimately be remembered as one of the all time acting greats. So why did I hate this new take on Alice In Wonderland? … oh, where do I start?
At its core the whole concept is fundamentally flawed. The world and characters that Lewis Caroll created are poorly suited to the cliché archetypes of “The Heroes Journey”. In literary form, Wonderland was mainly a backdrop for a series of ingenious head scratching riddles and logical (or illogical) puzzles which may also lead us to question the rigid rules of our society and the true value of “sanity”. It’s wonderful and unique but not inherently cinematic. Rather than address this issue with cerebral respect, Linda Woolverton (whose previous pedigree screenwriting credits include The Lion King!) merely stripped it all away and reduced the classic characters to quirky window dressing so she could crowbar in a half-baked quasi-sequel disguised as an adventure/destiny parable. In doing so, Wonderland is exposed to unflattering scrutiny. It sure isn’t a fully realised world like Pandora or Middle Earth. Everything in the screenplay is totally interchangeable with other fantasy series. This could just as easily be a Wizard of Oz or Narnia story. With the insanity vibe why not just call it The Chronicles of Banarnia? This is Wonderland in name only… actually it’s not even that, it’s now referred to as Underland.
The lead role is played by relative unknown Mia Wasikowska, she doesn’t do herself any real favours. It’s not like she has any good dialogue to work with, but even so her performance is bland. I imagine she’ll fade into obscurity after this and always be known as “oh yeah, the girl who played Alice” But what really sinks proceedings is Depp, and I never thought I’d say that. I enjoyed him as Willy Wonka and Jack Sparrow, there was much more to those eccentric performances than childish clowning around. Not so with The Mad Hatter, there is just no consistent character to speak of. Depp chucks in random accents and manic laughter but without any restraint of reason. It’s like watching a magician fumble around the stage as doves and playing cards fall out of his sleeves. The nail in the coffin is his “Fudderwack”… yes, that was a sentence. I’ll say no more, but when it happens you’ll know, and you will cringe.
In contrast, Helena Bonham Carter was born to play the Red Queen. She relishes every bratty tantrum tinged moment. So what if the whole thing is basically ripped off from Miranda Richardson’s classic portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in Blackadder II, it works. What also works is the outstanding production and character design. I’m excluding The Mad Hatter from this, a hideous combination of Madonna, Elijah Wood and Marylyn Manson! The supporting cast of quality British thesps all benefit from the polished visuals as their work is mainly limited to voicing digital characters. Alan Rickman and Matt Lucas are perfectly suited to their roles, while Steven Fry’s Cheshire Cat is a glorious extension of his beloved QI persona. I can’t fault these aspects of the film, but they can’t save it from narrative hell either. I expect most people will enjoy the experience enough to merit the cost of their ticket, but that’s probably all. Maybe I was expecting too much, but then again, why shouldn’t I? It seems everyone involved in the production thought “We’ve got Depp and Burton, what can go wrong? Let them do whatever random shit they fancy, it always pays off”. Despite their best efforts I think the only time I really smiled was hearing Crispin Glover say the word “Bandersnatch”, for some reason it just made me giggle.
I’m not being a “Mad Hater” (see what I did there?) and I didn’t set out to call this review “Malice In Blunderland”. Contrary to the general consensus on some of his recent work, I’ve enjoyed everything Tim Burton has ever done, only Planet of the Apes left me cold. Burton claims he was looking for a way to make the surreal elements relevant to Alice’s psyche. Since he has failed I suggest you look no further than Del Torro’s modern masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth instead. It will also help you forget about this frustrating and poorly conceived waste of talent. -
Mar 07, 2010 2:07:53 PM CST
I'd like to see more goth films with stripy curly shit and weird
by baaba_pappa
That is a lie
-
that was the rest of that.
-
The 2003 Peter Pan movie showed HOW TO MAKE A PETER PAN movie. HOOK is a bloody disgrace, and until Indy 4, it was Spielberg's worst movie by far.
-
Genuine human emotion and empathy matched with great visuals.
-
The parts with the Mad Hatter and the Queens were crap. The truth of the matter is, this movie is worth seeing as long as you're not expecting a good plot. In my own opinion, I can watch the parts with the crazy rabbit, the feisty mouse and the Cheshire Cat over and over again.
-
It was way too cartoony. It was very forgettable. It was a big letdown and very mediocre.
-
WAY more than expected.
-
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Alice in Wonderland, my son!
The jeers, and cheers are colorful lies!
Beware the Burton and the deep, for they should be shun
The frumious colorful movie ties!”
I took the tickets in hand:
Long time wait in the queue for seats –
Glass were dirty, was like looking through sand
All people were rude, acted like beats.
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The movie started and my interest was lost
The plot was dead, and story was few
I wanted so much, but let down the cost.
This is not a story of youth
This not what you hope for your time
I would rather be of loss of tooth
Than sit through another confusing blime.
I was lost in the story, and willed to go
And does thou share my view?
Come say what you must, by my rhyming show
Give this your honest review
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 151 total posts 140 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 128 total posts 94 posts
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 92 total posts 91 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 474 total posts 70 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 64 total posts 64 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 51 total posts 51 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 116 total posts 41 posts
- Wanna smell like the Hulk? What about Cap? Consider yourself a Thunder God or a unisex God of Mischief? -- 71 total posts 40 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 35 total posts 35 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 35 total posts 34 posts