Tim Burton and Disney have a strange love affair. The two are polar opposites -- while the former is popular for dark, melancholy colours, the latter stands for everything larger than life and grandiose
Alice in Wonderland
U/A; fantasy
Dir: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Matt Lucas, Mia Wasikowska, Stephen Fry
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What's it about: Tim Burton and Disney have a strange love affair. The two are polar opposites -- while the former is popular for dark, melancholy colours, the latter stands for everything larger than life and grandiose. So when the two come together, the result ought to be a mixed bag. Based on Lewis Carroll's classic tale of a girl going down a rabbit hole to meet strange creatures, the film uses 3-D to bring a new perspective to its age-old story. Burton's Alice (Mia) is quite a rebel, escaping her engagement party and making her way to Wonderland.
She begins her journey with quite a bang! We are soon introduced to familiar characters -- the Hatter (Depp), the white rabbit (Michael Sheen), the warring queens -- Red (Carter) and White (Hathaway), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) and the doped-out caterpillar (Alan Rickman). Apart from attending tea parties, eating magical cakes that shrink and expand her, Alice has a huge task at hand -- of slaying the monstrous Jabber- wocky on the Frabjous Day.
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What's hot: Burton loves to experiment. He pushes the envelope in every department -- be it storytelling, costumes, special effects or even dialogues. Taking risks comes naturally to him, and he plays with the material like a boy let loose in a toy store. It's a given that the film's a visual spectacle. In the post-Avatar movie scenario, Burton manages to ride the 3-D wave and deliver some OMG moments. Helena Bonham Carter is fantastic as the megalomaniac queen. Despite her bloated forehead and dwarfed posture, she rises above the occasion and delivers a memorable performance. Wasikowska as Alice is appealing in an unexpected way. Her transform- ation from the confused, teenager to the one who becomes a hero is smooth.u00a0
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What's not: As you leave the cinema hall, there will be a question looming largely over your head -- What if Burton had produced Alice himself? How different would the experience be? The answer is simple -- it would be the way it was meant to be! Clearly the studio's interference is obvious in one frame too many. Be it the love angle between the Hatter and Alice, or the animated Queens who seem straight out of a Disney reel, the film seems a compromise on Burton's part to facilitate the easy funding. Despite the mind-boggling effects and the 3-D moments, there is always that sense of void and emptiness that engulfs you for a long time. The build-up to the hyped Alice-Jabberwocky fight scene is a letdown. Also Depp seems disoriented in his motives throughout his screen time. Only mad in appearance but quite intelligent in behaviour his Hatter has no standing of his own. Also there are very few good one-liners or moments that make you laugh. The jokes are downright silly with no edge whatsoever.
What to do: Depp fans might be disappointed, but those wanting to enjoy the 3-D ride might feel like making a trip to this Wonderland.
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