ALARIS' REVIEWS

11th April 2010
Alice In Wonderland (2010)

When you go to see a Tim Burton film, you pretty much know what you're in for. Gothic fantasy in an off kilter world, and Helena Bonham Carter.

Alice in Wonderland is exactly that.

Riffed from Lewis Carroll's classic fantasy novel of the same name, Burton's Alice in Wonderland launches when Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is 19, and on the brink of becoming disastrously engaged. Alice has forgotten her childhood adventures, and knows only that her imaginative spirit chafes with polite society. Poised to make the most momentous decision of her life, Alice tumbles down a rabbit hole and finds herself in Wonderland once again, and facing questions no less momentous.

Burton delivers a dark and lively world full of eccentric characters, but it falls short of being memorable. The film is offbeat, but not particularly funny. The action trots along obligingly, but there are no great moments of drama or revelation. The fantasy world is curious, but not compelling. While Wasikowska's Alice is a sympathetic enough protagonist, her emotional journey is tepid when it could have been either epic or lovely.

Alice in Wonderland is competently made, and diverting enough as a fantasy film, but it isn't as spectacular as Avatar (2009), as charming as Stardust (2007), or, surprisingly, as moving as The King of Kong (2007).

Verdict: An easy, unchallenging fantasy film, and classic Tim Burton.

**+

Read Zee's review of Alice in Wonderland 3D (2010).