Climbing Higher Pictures

It’s been awhile since the last jaw dropping feature from the twisted mind of Tim Burton. Part of that appeared to have been the result of storytelling fatigue, and many wondered if he had finally run out of the kind of visionary ideas which had supported his early triumphs. Alice in Wonderland seemed like the kind of project which would be a blessing and a curse for Burton, having all the sensibilities that fit within the realm of his imagination, while simultaneously giving him the kind of creative freedom which could dangerously overwhelm the story at hand. Does this adaptation have enough tricks up its sleeve to keep you entertained? Find out:

Alice in Wonderland Review

By Ryan Hamelin

Movie Grade: A-

Even when it was first announced, I will admit to having been thrilled at the prospect of Tim Burton taking on Lewis Carroll’s famous literary classic. The man has been stylistically approaching a look akin to Wonderland’s for decades, and his sensibilities seemed to complement the material perfectly… almost too perfectly. Doubt emerged after the first few trailers, and grew as more and more footage was shown to the public. Yes, it looked like how a Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland movie should look, but it was so all over the place that it made you wonder if the man had met his match, if he had too much canvas to work with, and if it would result in the kind of creative overload that would draw attention away from the storytelling.

Yet this was not to be the case. As an audience, we sometimes forget that a trailer is simply a collection of slivers from a two hour long journey, and that given the time to set each element up, a magical world can feel just as real as anything else. Also, as demonstrated here, when the universe is so varied in its design, it can be hard to see the thread until the whole world comes into sharp relief. With the aid of three dimensions, it appears as though we have truly fallen down the rabbit hole, and landed in the future of movie-making. Avatar was the proof of concept, and now Wonderland is its reinforcement.

The interesting thing about the project is how much life the film contains. Every frame is full of energy and vigor, despite the major members of its cast and crew having seemingly passed their prime. Linda Woolverton has added yet another fantastic script to a resume which includes Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. The story structure is classical and wholly unique, satisfying in a familiar sense, and wonderfully fresh in its approach. Johnny Depp is now on his 7^th collaboration with Burton, and yet he managed to find a character in The Mad Hatter which he has never played before, while weaving in the specific elements you’ve come to love over his career. Helena Bonham Carter seems to improve her acting based upon the size of her head, as her work here is far superior to Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter films, or her recent collaborations on her husband’s other films. Danny Elfman, who seems to have been throwing out one forgetful score after another in search of a paycheck, delivers here like he hasn’t in the better part of a decade. Maybe he’s been saving up all his good cues for something he’s excited in, who knows? All I know is that the score was neither forgettable nor dull at any point, and worked with the enchanted nature of the story brilliantly.

Last, but certainly not least, we have the man himself, who has been steadily winding his way down from the heights of Edward Scissorhands and Nightmare Before Christmas over the last decade. It sort of feels as though Burton has been waiting for this level of technology to emerge so that he can tell a visual story without the boundaries of physical art direction. Not unlike Cameron’s vision with Avatar, Burton has the level of creativity to take full advantage of custom-built reality, and the amazing part is that you still believe in all of it. Deserving of special recognition is The Cheshire Cat, who was absolutely wonderful and completely sealed the deal for me.

What is Time Burton’s Alice in Wonderland? It is the kind of re-imagining that film adaptations were created for. A new, fresh take on a classic tale, while never losing the feeling of what made the original story so timeless. It is pure entertainment, and a wonderful ride for a viewer of any age. A little on the darker side for the extremely young, but it works precisely because of how faithful it remains to that twisted tone. Though it has it’s pacing issues, and is not a perfect film, it still triumphs from a storytelling perspective, and is the most passionate we’ve seen its creator in some time. Welcome back Tim.