Alice in Wonderland

The movie excited me in the cinema, but mainly because of the colorful orgies. Yes, who wouldn't like a bit of kitsch here and there. But then the film got stuck in my head and personally, I consider it one of the worst that Tim Burton has made. Depp has found the right role for himself again here. And he is great, he is funny. And he is the same as in his recent films, although the mask is different. The visual orgies are beautiful, but the main Alice did not find the right performer in Mia. Actually, she quite successfully opposes me. This is simply something that didn't sit well with me. Great actors, interesting role, but why does it have to be an adaptation of "Alice"? In terms of plot, it's just another Hollywood spectacle. (06/01/2014)

It's very hard to review this film because a five-star scale is too narrow in this case to express feelings. On one hand, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is certainly mainstream, as the strong influence of Walt Disney Studios is indisputable in shaping the final form of the film. This Alice is simply much more epic than its literary predecessor and corresponds to the classic model of the battle between good and evil, with stereotypical fairy tale characters. The studio has already tried this pattern many times and will definitely not change it because of Lewis Carroll's fans. So Alice fights a dragon and cannot avoid a romantic motif. On the other hand, it is unnecessary to blame Tim Burton for succumbing to commercial temptations and selling his artistic vision to Walt Disney Studios. In the American concept, the director is merely a craftsman, the owner of the work, and the actual creator is effectively the producer, who can dictate. We do not know what Alice would have been if it were made as an independent film, but it would probably be much less elaborate and might not even exist. Tim Burton might be able to produce it if it were exclusively an animated film. Even in this studio version, there is plenty to see, as the visuals are not bad at all, and there are several excellent special effects. Most likely, children will like it, as it was written by Lewis Carroll as a fairy tale for children. Those who seek artistic depth and an adult version will have to look elsewhere. If I were to criticize Burton for being too Disney-like, then I would discard the Disney version from 1951 altogether. The fact is that intellectual depth and ambiguity are missing in the newest adaptation of Alice, but it is still a grand and enjoyable spectacle. Overall impression: 75%. (11/03/2010)

I had a great time. The film was off the rails just like the book on which it was based. Mia Wasikowska was extremely convincing, Anne Hathaway was hilarious, and I’m not exactly a fan of hers, Johnny Depp was at his wackiest, Helena Bonham Carter was fantastic ("I need a pig here!” and "Off with their heads!" – brilliant) and Crispin Glover was sleazy to the core. Except for a few minor details, I was satisfied. (20/11/2016)

Tim Burton is hands down the most interesting director of our time and every one of his films is worth watching at least once. While some of them didn't do much for me (Mars Attacks, Beetlejuice), others are among the best I've seen so far (Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood). This one is somewhere in between, it didn't impress me, but given the premise it was a pleasant surprise. The story is a bit secondary anyway, the main thing are the amazing sets, the make-up effects, the music and of course the performances led by Depp and Bonham Carter (hats off to the great dubbing). If it all formed a traditional, Burton-esque unconventional whole, I'd give it four stars without blinking an eye, but Alice is mostly overstuffed with that uninhibited, sterile form that any filmmaker who isn't afraid to break free from his chains, even though he doesn't have much to say, would produce, and in this case, that’s a disappointment... (03/01/2012)

I welcome stories derived from the stories embedded in the Disney portfolio that bring something new to the table (such as Snow White or Maleficent, in addition to Alice). That's how Disney came up with their version of Alice in Wonderland in 1951, and almost 60 years later they expanded the story with a sequel. Now we meet Alice, who is no longer a little girl, but a nineteen-year-old girl about to be married. She is once again lured by the white rabbit into the world of the Queen of Hearts, the Hatter, and other strange creatures. Lewis Carroll would probably have been surprised if he had been told in 1865 how inspirational his Alice would be. I don't particularly enjoy Burton's films, some I like more, others less, in the case of Alice in Wonderland I'm satisfied that his group is spot on: Elfman in the recording studio, Depp and Bonham Carter in front of the camera. (24/08/2019)