I, like many others, grew up reading Lewis Carrol, watching Disney & playing American McGee.
I have also spent time debating with friends concerning who would do a great job in bringing this to life on the big screen using real people. Tim Burton was & still is, the best choice. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman were also in the mix, when deciding on the dream team (though the roles were slightly different then what Burton worked out, so aptly).
What happened then? Why did I walk out of the cinema saddened & disappointed? Glad, only that I got into the matinee & didn’t pay full price.
I will blame it on 3 things. 1) Tim Burton MUST have been distracted, tired ; 2) the screen-play needed reworking; 3) The title was misleading .. it should have been The Mad Hatter & Alice, Adventures in Wonderland.
Adressing the first point: This film was Burton-esque. As if someone studied Burton’s style & made a first-class effort in directing a film that people would say “Almost as good as Tim Burton, that kid has promise”. Maybe I am spoiled by his previous works … Sweeny Todd, Corpse Bride, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Big Fish, Edward Sissorhands, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (of all things) .. not to mention Beetlejuice (which my husband indicated was a far superior film).
The second point … The Screen-play: At least half the time spent “Above the Rabbit Hole” should have been devoted to character development in “Wonderland”. There was not a single character that I was compelled to care about .. not Alice, not the Hatter, not even the Cheshire Cat (who was my very favorite from the book & Disney). The pace was too fast. The White Queen was a disaster. That “futterwacken” dance HAS TO GO (was that a Michael Jackson homage?) & since when was Alice “Zena, Warrior Princess”????? With all the elements of the book, placed so very much in the way of the film, it is amazing that it didn’t trip over it’s own feet. Oh, that is right .. it did.
Finally, last but not least … the title: Granted, I know Marketing dictates “tell people what they want to hear, then give them what we have”. Bait & Switch has been around forever & a day. However, if they Actually Said it was a film surrounding the Mad Hatter & not Alice, it would have been more palatable. Getting what one expects is better than getting side-lined (which is what happened here, sad to say).
Taking the Good with the Bad:
With all that said, the Acting was Great. Everyone was well cast. I would give an Oscar to Ms. Carter for turning a 2 dimensional character into such a surly, unpleasant individual who never said “Off with their Head” the same way twice. It was amazing. Johnny Depp, as the Hatter, also did a Wonderful Job. He was simply Mad, Bonkers.
I will have to say here, though, that Rickman & Fry were my favorites. Rickman was completely understated as the Caterpillar, which really worked & was quite believable (I just love his work anyways, he is tops in my book). Fry as the Cheshire cat was Grand. Chessur was so Feline it was scary. I most loved the “massaging” on his favorite hat, the one he would wear on “only the best of occasions”.
Visually, the film was everything one would expect from Tim Burton. It was strange & delightful .. even when it was dark & disturbing. I would have enjoyed the ability to linger at spots to take it all in, if we were not moving so fast though the under-developed story.
All & All, I enjoyed the film enough to purchase it when it hits the $5- bin at Wal-mart. I give it a 5.5 out of 10, which is sad for a film I was so looking forward to.