Perhaps the glass wasn't broken enough?
Just got back from seeing the new Alice in Wonderland. Not as bad as I’d heard, just as beautiful as I’d heard. Sometimes the 3D was cool, sometimes it was just annoying. All in all, 6.5 out of 10.
I found the advertisements at the beginning fascinating. They were all aimed at kids from 5-15, and heavy on the girl (buying) power. I had heard this was a dark movie. And there were dark moments to be sure, but no real menace. Some of the character performances were strong, if not great (not sure where the writing / directing was really going). I’m a big fan of Crispin Glover, and except for some digital / irl mash-up problems (his physical head didn’t really move with his digital body), I enjoyed his performance a lot.
I guess the main thing is…it wasn’t BIG enough. It was a small story, in a small land (yes, I know Alice shrinks to get there), and I wanted a BIG story in a HUGE land!
I didn’t really get Depp as the hatter, until he really started going bonkers-raving-stark, which wasn’t nearly often enough. (I wasn’t fond of his Willie Wonka, either.)
I liked Hathaway as the White Queen. I felt like she was light enough for the aperitif that was this movie. She moved the digestion along well. What else is a White Queen for, after all?
The Jabberwocky wasn’t scary, and the final battle was silly. And I love Helena – but hate most of her roles.
Bitch, bitch, bitch. I didn’t ask for my money back.
Oooohhhh! The first part of the closing credits was delightful!
Shake the foolish tree,
Ian Carruthers
Filmmaker
www.foolishtreefilms.com
Let’s make a movie!
I tried very hard to go to this film with no expectations. After the crushing blow that corpse bride and willy wonka were, I thought as long as it isn’t worse than that, It’ll be ok. I liked everything up to the Hatter’s dance. and hated everything after that. I really liked the jabberwoky fight, I especially liked that it wasn’t “about Alice”. I loved how Helena played the sympathetic, She made the queen relate-able and pitiable. Hathaway was awesome in her bat shit craziness. It was almost palpable that under the surface the “niceness” was had an almost sinister undertone. Didn’t care for Depp’s hatter and would have been thrilled of he could have just picked an accent and stuck with it. The writing (especially post hatter dance) left a lot to be desired, and Mia Whateverernameis really bombed the delivery of a few of her lines. I’d agree with 6.5/10. My recommendations are see it as a matinee, with or without 3D,
The best thing about the film is “It’s Pretty”
i love his movie Edwards Scissorhands, i think it is one of Johnny Depp’s best performance aside from Pirates of the Caribbean.”;”
“Edward Scissorhands” was truly a wonderful film. So bright, so dark…I agree. Some of Depp’s best work. Although I never saw, “From Hell,” and I heard he was good in that. The comic book “From Hell” was *incredible* – Alan Moore is a genius. Not so into the art, but the story was soooooo good, I didn’t care.