2010 movieRating: 13/20 (Jen: 16/20; Abbey: 15/20)
Plot: Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe. Alice, now a young woman who isn't too happy about the pressures she's feeling to marry a goofy redheaded guy, returns to Wonderland and is told that she's the chosen one and will have to slay something called a Jabberwocky with a vorpal blade that goes snicker-snack. She gets help from an assortment of odd characters (a disappearing kitty, a mad hatter, a dormouse, tubby twins, a stoned caterpillar) who she should remember but doesn't. Meanwhile, Wonderland's completely gone to hell with the Red Queen making everybody's life miserable. As the frabjous day approaches, Alice is needed more and more, but she first needs to be convinced that she's the right Alice and get back to her normal size.
Maybe I should have seen this in 3-D. Maybe I should just see everything in 3-D actually. I did really like the look of Tim Burton's Wonderland, as artificial and computer-generated as it was. Even without 3-D, there was a depth to the setting with endless swirling grays in the sky, gnarled trees, cartoonish mushrooms. The computer-animated creatures--the White Rabbit, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, et. al--were very well done, even when being ridden on. In fact, the special effects were great all around, working to keep things visually interesting even if they weren't anywhere near realistic. Unfortunately, I don't think Tim Burton adds anything of real value to the Wonderland canon. The dialogue, the characters, and the goings-on seem a bit rehashed, and the story never feels fully realized to me, just an excuse to throw some trippy visuals and nifty special effects on the screen. I really wish there would have been more playfulness in the dialogue. A lot of the whimsy and fun of the Disney cartoon and Lewis Carroll's novels is from the wordplay, and that's pushed aside to focus on a bunch of jerky action sequences and the aforementioned imagery. From the halfway point on, I lost interest more and more. I didn't like Alice very much, not even enough to look up the name of the gal who played her, but Johnny Depp does his usual fine job and Crispin Glover's also got a major part. There's a lot to like in Burton's Wonderland, but it suffers from the same problems as most of his movies, especially the remakes--it's just too much and almost disrespects the originals.
I can't believe I missed the opportunity to see Crispin Glover in 3-D, by the way.
11 comments:
"It's a Tim Burton film."
What that phrase means has changed over the years. Now, it means taking a old story, soaking it in peyote (as opposed to the absinthe he used in the 90's), ask Johnny Depp what wacky voice and silly hat he wants to use, and film it.
On paper, it makes sense to get Burton to do a Wonderland film. If you want intellectuals to see it, get Gilliam to film it. If you want parents to take their kids, get Burton. He’s like Spielberg, but cheaper.
There were scenes that you could point to and go 'ohhhhhhh 3D' as you watched at home in boring old 2D. I am afraid we are going to have to live with that for several years to come.
I did like "Alice" more than "Wonka", because it was more of a departure. I liked the concept of making the poems prophecy, and that Frabjous Day was the Wonderland rapture. The effects were fantastic even in plain old 2D.
It was goofy and Disney(see what I did), but what did you expect. I remember not hating it as much I thought I might.
15/20 for unexpected non-loathing
I would also give this a 15, but gave it much less thought. The Depp voice/hat comment cracked me up, but I don't agree with the Spielberg comparison since these directors have the opposite weakness. Spielberg can be very manipulative, and sentimental to the point of smarmy, whereas this film is a perfect example of amazing Burton eye-candy that lacks an emotional connection to its audience. Now I need to go look up "absinthe".
Absinth is the liqueur that the French used to become artistic. Its been mostly illegal in this country because its so freaking powerful. If you ever see the modern Moulin Rouge movie, with Kidman and Macgregor, the drink they use in that to see the little fairy at the beginning? Thats Absinth. Oh, and its green.
On to this film. I hate to say it, but I got incredibly bored about halfway through. I actually liked the Wonka movie better than this turgid stuff. Nothing happens....seriously. They have some big headed Helena Bohham Carter, some animals and swords and a fight against a dragon, and I did not care for one minute what happened to anyone in this movie.
Tim Burton....he has not made a movie with any emotional connection since Ed Wood. Everything else the guy does, is based entirely on creating quirky images and building a movie around that.
Oh sorry..I give this movie a 13...and thats being generous.
Larst has imbibed.
So what's everybody's least favorite Tim Burton movie? Favorite?
My favorites are 'Edward Scissorhands' (sentimental reasons?) and 'Ed Wood'...least favorite is hotly contested...
Top 3:
Ed Wood
Edward Scissorhands
Corpse Bride
Bottom 3:
Mars Attacks!...I'm going to stop right there since this is three times as bad as the average bad movie.
Favorite Tim Burton movies.
1-Ed Wood
2-Pee Wees Big Adventure
Least favorite Tim Burton movies.
1-Planet of the Apes
2-Batman Returns.
Of course I think that the only two complete films he has made so far are Ed Wood and Pee Wee, so that was the easy part.
I'm not a huge fan of this movie. I like what you said about "disrespecting" the originals. I thought he did that with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But, I try to remember that what makes Burton so brilliant is that he's not tipping his hat to the first time it was a movie; he's trying to use the source material and meld THAT to his vision.
I'm so glad he used Danny Elfman again for this picture. Elfman's scores are uniquely voiced and is the Dark Knight to John Wiliams's White Knight sound.
My top 3 Burton movies are:
1. Beetleguise
2. Batman
3. Edward Scissorhands
BOTTOM 3:
3. Dark Shadows
2. Big Top Pee Wee
1. Mars Attacks
Ed Wood, Pee Wee, and Edward Scissorhands for me, but not in that order. I liked Sweeney Todd. I haven't seen Beetlejuice in a really long time. Big Fish and Corpse Bride are ok.
Burton did NOT direct Big Top Pee Wee, so we can't blame him for that. We can blame him for the painfully dull Dark Shadows and all the superfluous remakes.
I haven't seen the Frankenstein dog movie yet.
Speaking of Elfman, have you ever seen 'Forbidden Zone'? So awesome!
Yes, I saw "Forbidden Zone" back in college and thought it was awesome in so many ways. I have the soundtrack to that movie. I really got into Elfman's work and tried to do a little research on him. I dug up "Forbidden Zone" and his work in "Oingo Boingo." Some really good stuff there that I'm afraid will subside into the recesses of obscurity and cult status.
Cool...we need to have us a 'Forbidden Zone' party at school and watch it on the big screen. I've only seen the movie once, but it's the kind of thing I'd love to show to everybody I know. I had a smile on my face for a week after watching that movie.
I like Elfman's soundtrack stuff. Wasn't the biggest Oingo Boingo fan though.
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