Issue Date: 3/8/10
Burton goes beyond Wonderland
3.5 out of 4 stars
By Kelley Foyt
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Screenwriter Linda Woolverton has created an exceptional adaption of the popular children's story published in 1865. The fresh spin on the timeless classic begins 13 years after Alice's (Mia Waskikowska) original adventures through the looking glass when Alice returns to a Wonderland ruled by the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter).
The most powerful aspect of the film is the blurred line between reality and fantasy. Audiences will return to a childhood land of imagination through the combination of live action and animation. The movie's attention to detail and avant-garde characters make it near impossible to differentiate between what was actually filmed and what was created on a computer. The result is a whimsical and breathtaking world where the impossible becomes possible.
In this world, director Tim Burton effectively took the story to a new level by adding real depth to each of the characters.
"(In the past) as a movie, it's always been about a passive little girl wandering around a series of adventures with weird characters. There's never any gravity to it," Burton said in a press release. "The attempt with this was to take the idea of those stories and shape them into something that's not literal from the book but keeps the spirit of it."
While the plot is simple, the character development is complex. Each of the characters is given a real identity, and the most compelling component is that audiences will be able to relate to each of the characters. The Red Queen's frustration and anger, Alice's awe and the Mad Hatter's (Johnny Depp) tragedies are all universal elements that audiences will find a piece of themselves in.
Depp once again proves that he can take on any role as he portrays the most complex character in the film. As a comical yet tragic character, Depp quickly switches between sanity and insanity, and often blurs the line between the two. He has several distinct personalities and accents. Depp poignantly depicts variety while still creating a common theme for his character.
Visual effects bring simplicity to his role: the Mad Hatter literally shows his feelings through a physical reflection of his attitude. Some changes are obvious, such as when his eyes change from green to orange when he becomes angry. Others are harder to catch. Be sure to look for the subtle differences in the color of his skin and clothes.
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