tim burton's alice in wonderland
March 29, 2010
“Have I gone mad?” - “I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.” Yet again, one of my childhood favourites was made into a fabulous new film directed by Tim Burton.
Alice in Wonderland hit the Australian cinemas in March, and if Burton’s past works are anything to go by - we were promised a quirky and visually exquisite romp. And what an an exquisite romp it was!
When Alice’s father encourages her to ‘think of six impossible things before breakfast”, he has no idea just how impossible things become for poor Alice. The slightly warped 19th Century children’s tale (Lewis Carroll) is all stuff and nonsense, loaded with dreaming and the impossible. Just what we creatives thrive on! The story goes something like this: Unsettled Alice escapes the dull pull of arranged matrimony to tumble down a magic rabbit hole, drink some fairly tweaked out tonic and shrink herself to oblivion. On reaching a suitable size, Alice enters a Wonderland slightly confused, and bands together with a team of strangely familiar local protagonists. On her journey the characters take turns to enlighten Alice in her path to slay the Jaberwocky, and subsequently free all creatures from the psychotic wrath of The Red Queen.
Got it? Great.
Over the duration of the journey things just get Curiouser and Curiouser for Alice ...
Adorably unconventional characters inhabit Alice’s dreamscape. Each character offers her a message - beit self belief, the forging of an individual path and embracing a realm beyond “the possible”. Burton’s take on the Mad Hatter (a psychologically and fashionably deranged Johnny Depp), the positively bonkers March Hare, and an all knowing sheesh toking Catepillar are cleverly executed. A cheeky Cheer shire cat charms viewers with feline aerobatics and mysterious “isms”, and a sword toting door mouse with a bravery that transcends her size assists smooth running of awkward situations.
The eccentric Helena Bonham Carter provides an entertaining performance as the Red Queen. In her Kingdom of Hearts, she delights in ordering decapitations left right and centre, while demanding a “Dwwwwink!!!!” with imperfect speech, as she takes a seat on her throne to rest her enormously bulbous head.
Depp does a sterling job of an afflicted madman. Though his babble throughout the film is often incomprehensible (he IS mad), he does break it to Alice that she is lacking a little something on her visit to wonderland this time round - “You were much muchier. You have lost your muchiness.” To make matters more ridiculous, the Mad Hatter is famed to dance the “Futterwhacken” better than any, and does so in true style after the victorious slaying of the Jaberwocky.
The quintessential “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” scene is simply delightful. Complete with all the trimmings of a riotous affair, the viewer is subjected to filthy manners, passionately mad tea enthusiasts and impressively loose behaviour.
Incredible special effects combined with all new 3D viewing makes the film a must see on the big screen. A cameo soundtrack contribution ("Alice's Wonderland very good advice ching chang chong") by none other than Robert Smith and The Cure wraps the entire film up in a big red bow and declares it timeless brilliance.
A somewhat stunted ending is the only thing holding the film back ... Though not a inch of visual opulence has been scrimped on, prepare to be intrigued!
