The Circle

Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: Arts and Entertainment

Media Credit: hvyilnr/ Flickr.com Johnny Depp and Tim Burton team up once again in "Alice in Wonderland"

Before I get start reviewing the new "Alice in Wonderland," I want to briefly share my feelings on the original version so you can understand my rating better. I really disliked the 1951 version of "Alice in Wonderland." As a child, I didn't understand anything about it. Now that I'm older, I still don't understand anything besides the fact that the writers must have been under the influence while in pre-production of the film.

I admit I was a skeptic when I sat down with my popcorn and large soda for the Tim Burton version, but I was honestly extremely surprised with how much I enjoyed it. Although it was still a little bizarre, it was nowhere close to weirdness level of the original. The casting was amazing, as can be expected from Tim Burton, and the screenplay was very well written. The makeup and film sets were unbelievable, truly capturing the sense of being in Wonderland.

Most of us know the original. Alice falls down a rabbit hole as a child and winds up in Wonderland. She encounters an impatient white rabbit with his pocket watch, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire cat, and finally the Queen of Hearts who is all too friendly with her words "off with her head."

The Burton film was created as a sequel to the original. Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is now 19 years old and has just been proposed to by a rich lord. After running away from the proposal, she falls down a rabbit hole and, again, winds up in Wonderland. The twist to this story is that she does not remember her first visit, though everyone else does her and expects her to return Wonderland to the hands of the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). The plot leads Alice to decide whether or not to save Wonderland from the Queen of Hearts (Helena Bonham Carter) by destroying her prized weapon-the Jabberwocky (a dragon, basically).

I won't give away how the story ends, but I was very impressed with the lessons that the film seemed to convey. First, having an imagination in a society where conformity is the only acceptable path is not bad and can lead to unique journeys. Second, loyalty, honesty, and friendship are keys to success, which is expressed by the almost brother-sister relationship between Alice and the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). Also, decisions cannot be forced, they must be a choice made by you.

As far as acting goes, Johnny Depp plays an incredible Mad Hatter, getting into the character as naturally as tying a shoe. Helena Bonham Carter creates a different, yet unique image of the Queen of Hearts and pulls off a gigantic head at the same time. Personally, I think having a no-name play Alice was an excellent choice. Newcomer Mia Wasikowska was a great addition to the script and lived up to my expectations. The only person I was not impressed with in her role was Anne Hathaway. Though I didn't expect her to be like Glinda from "Wizard of Oz," I did expect a little more from her acting-wise. She, as well as the rest of the actors, played a strange character, but it was definitely not her best job.

Best known for "Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993), Burton doesn't let you down in this film. Although it wasn't quite a four out of four stars, it was still a movie worthy of seeing.

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