“Why is a raven is like a writing desk?”

Last evening, I was utterly blown away by Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.  With inspiration drawn from Through The Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll’s sequel to his original Alice In Wonderland, Burton depicts Alice’s next venture into the magical world she once thought was just a figment of her imagination.

Joining Mr. Burton’s regular cast of characters, wife Helena Bonham Carter and the always unpredictable Johnny Depp, are Crispin Glover as the Knave of Hearts, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, and the charming Mia Wasikowska as Alice.  This brilliant cast brought a vividness to the roles that just can’t be found in cartoon form and a realness to a story that could surely  only be fathomed by a mad man. (But I’ll tell you a secret.  All the best people are.)

Acting and plot aside, the art work on this film was spectacular.  The colors and imagery were brilliant and contrasting, making the movie both intellectually and visually stimulating.

With every good critique comes the good and the bad, and while I wholeheartedly recommend my readers view this film, there were a few sticking points along the way.  Perhaps it was the theatre in which I saw the film, but at least three times during the feature the characters whispered quick lines that went unheard by my friends and me, a very frustrating experience.  These lines seemed to be critical to the scene and I felt as though I was missing something in the minutes directly following.  Also, parts of the film were childish -note the PG rating- and the ending was quite cheesy, if I may. Finally, at $19.50 for a New York City IMAX ticket, the 3D was certainly not worth the purchase price.  It enhanced the viewing experience marginally, but I would be surprised if Tim Burton had a 3D experience in mind when the film was shot.  Nothing came flying off the screen and, unlike in the television previews, the Cheshire Cat did not float smilingly around the audience.  Definitely see it on a regular screen.

Overall, this is a movie I would pay to see again in theatres and will certainly purchase when it is released on DVD for future enjoyment.  Whatever negative reviews you might have heard, for get them.  This movie is definitely worth the watch.