Alice in Wonderland

While watching the new Tim Burton adaptation ‘Alice in Wonderland’, a thought raced in my mind similar to when I was watching ‘A Christmas Carol’ last year (another Disney film) – why don’t I feel any emotional connection to these characters? And that may be the biggest problem with Alice in Wonderland – its visually striking and is stunning in 3-D, but loses most of the emotional resonance and heart of its source material in favor of visuals.

19 year old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) spots a mysterious white rabbit at a Victorian estate party. She follows him around and eventually falls into a rabbit hole underground. When she wakes up, she finds herself in ‘Wonderland’, a fantastical world filled with quirky characters like the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), and the twins Tweedledum and Tweedledee among others. As she remembers she’s been to this place 10 years ago, she comes to a realization that she’s the only one who can slay the dragon Jabberwock and end the rule of the evil Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter).

Tim Burton has always been known for his remarkable visuals and his filmography has produced some of the greatest films ever made (‘Sweeney Todd’, ‘Big Fish’, ‘Ed Wood’ and ‘Edward Scissorhands’). But what made him so unique was that his films always maintained that emotional quotient and heart that complemented the visuals so beautifully. Too bad that isn’t the case with Alice in Wonderland. We’ve got the trippy visuals and brilliant colors but the movie lacks any sort of emotional connection. We follow Alice throughout the film, yet end up knowing next to nothing about her. She’s cold and distant throughout and doesn’t change at all from the journey she takes.

Here, visuals even overwhelm the narrative as so much focus is on them that emotion and storytelling is skimped over. The result is a cold narrative where the audience has no stake over what happens and doesn’t care who lives or dies. Some might put the blame on the whole motion capture process that’s too artificial to believe but I’d cite ‘Avatar’ as an example. The real problem here is the decision of Disney to construct the film more as a ride than a piece of storytelling. It might sell tickets, but no one will remember it in a few years as technology will advance.

But if you’re looking for a 3-D treat, this film is what you need. Wonderland is beautifully rendered and has a lot of eye candy to chew. The 3-D itself is also similar to ‘A Christmas Carol’ where there are a lot of things jumping out at you but they’re effective. The final battle in particular looks magnificent in 3-D and will please anyone looking for a thrill ride at the movies.

If there’s one thing that single-handedly saves the film other than the visuals, it’s Johnny Depp. His brilliant portrayal of Mad Hatter is quirky and over the top – maybe too much for some – but adds a new layer to the film and ends up as the only character the audiences cares about. In fact, the only scene which contains a hint of emotion in the film involves the interaction with him and Alice during the film’s final moments. We’ve always known Depp does great with a functional script and direction by Tim Burton, but this time we see him trying to salvage a mediocre screenplay and does it to great effect. He’s the only thing you will take back with you when you leave the theatre.

Mia Wasikowska fits the role but plays Alice in a very distant and cold fashion, which is too bad since they follow her for the duration of the film. Helena Bonham Carter plays the Red Queen in her own way and succeeds. Alan Rickman and Stephen Fry are particularly notable for voicing the caterpillar and Cheshire the Cat respectively.

In the end, Alice in Wonderland is only recommended if you’re looking for a visual experience at the movies. Children will enjoy seeing their favorite characters come to life and Depp’s performance in particular, but the lack of heart and emotion doesn’t make it a particularly memorable experience. It didn’t work with ‘A Christmas Carol’ and it doesn’t work here.

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