At JP's request:
On Burton's Alice:
I liked it. I really did. Keep in mind, I'd pay to watch Burton direct Depp read the back of a cereal box, so perhaps you should take my opinion with a grain of salt. (If you don't take ALL reviewer's opinions with a grain of salt, more fool you.)
I won't rehash what everyone has been saying - the visuals are fantastic. We didn't see it in 3D, I didn't see the point (and from what I understand, it's a waste to see it in 3D.) Depp is his usual wonderful self. Mia Wasikowska is gorgeous and surprisingly fitting as Alice in that 'what the hell is going on?' sort of way. I loved Carter and Hathaway as the opposing Queens. Matt Lucas as the Tweedles was achingly adorable.
That said: I feel like the point that people have been missing is this isn't Carrol's 'Alice.' This is a newly invented story using Carrol's characters and some of his ideas. Don't go in expecting Burton's take on the old story. You're not going to find it.
The only place you're going to find the story you know called 'Alice in Wonderland' is in the dream-like recollections of our heroine's past. That story was something that happened to her in her childhood. Our new, nearly grown Alice was once Carrol's little girl and hardly remembers that Wonderland she once visited. Burton should have entitled this 'Return to Wonderland.' Was he afraid it would have given away too much?
Our Alice is a young woman. A reluctant hero, coming into her own and discovering who she is and what her place is in the world.
It's a Victorian coming of age story that has little to do with Romance (nary a Darcy in sight!) Rather, there are Knights and Hatters and a Jabberwock to battle.
It is a coming of age story for the Victorian tomboy. One who finds further adventures at the end of the story instead of a ring on her finger and a husband by her side.
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2 comments:
Thanks! The reviews I'd heard were mediocre, so I didn't see it when I had the chance. Maybe I should convince Rae that we should see it Easter Weekend when M is at my folks, 'cause your review gives me hope that I might like it. Also, having never read the book myself (*gasp* I KNOW!) I won't go in with any baggage, I'll just appreciate it for what it is.
Definitely read the book at some point, JP. Carrol's Alice is a different creature than Disney's Alice. Especially if you like Math and Logic. Disney toned it way down for the younger crowd. Disney's children are not Carrol's children, if you know what I mean.
Read 'Through the Looking Glass', too. I actually liked that one more. Probably because I hadn't seen any movies, and had no preconceived notions about it.
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