By AARON LANE MORRIS
Glasgow Daily Times
GLASGOW — Film directors are a strange lot. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are the storytellers, using a visual medium to tell moving and exciting tales about our culture. Quentin Tarantino is the ultimate movie fanatic, filling the screen with homage and reference to his favorite films. Tim Burton is, first and foremost, an artist, painter and sculptor.
We are fortunate that he has decided to make the moving images of the screen his medium to tell remarkable stories with a very consistent quality.
This time Burton combines the new digital animation technology we saw in films like “Speed Racer” and “Avatar” with Lewis Carroll’s classic tale of Alice exploring the fantastic world of Wonderland. The new digital tools reach their highest potential under Burton’s capable direction and perfectly combine the astounding visuals of an artist’s eye with Carroll’s ageless storytelling ability.
“Alice in Wonderland” has the fantastic visuals, but also combines the impeccable storytelling that was absent in “Avatar” with a wonderful cast of actors and dialog that was entirely missing from the mess that was “Speed Racer.” Lewis Carroll’s mathematically inspired (he was a mathematician by training) images of chess boards and fantastic worlds is perfectly suited to Burton’s vivid imagination.
What results is a remarkable film that is entertaining to viewers of all ages from start to finish.
While the story is somewhat changed from Carroll’s originals, Burton wisely maintains the childlike wonder at the heart of the fable. An introduction to our 19-year-old Alice is long and somewhat tedious, but necessary to the story.
As Alice finds it, Wonderland is in ruins, having fallen prey to the predations of the Red Queen and her minions. Held in fear of her soldiers and the fearful Jabberwocky the residents of Wonderland live in fear of the eccentric monarch, played exquisitely by Helena Bonham Carter.
On the topic of exceptional performances, Tim Burton’s usual cast of collaborators, including Carter, are back on stage here. None shines in his role quite like Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. The Hatter gets a big part of the story here, and Depp plays his peculiar madness with aplomb. He is wonderful to watch, and a scene where he recites lines from Carroll’s nonsensical poem “Jabberwocky” is not to be missed.
Newcomer Mia Wasikowska is well cast as our Alice. She is appropriately childlike and waifish to begin the tale, and we grow in to the strength and courage she finds in Wonderland along with her.
Stephen Fry, as the voice of the Cheshire cat, is a delight and the character fulfils the original story material by popping up at the most random times and being by turns both taunting and helpful. Alan Rickman is instantly recognizable as the voice of Absalom the wise, hookah smoking caterpillar, and likewise adds much to the film. The final longtime Burton collaborator deserving mention is musician Danny Elfman. His musical score under the film soars, adding drama and intrigue to the action but never overwhelming it.
We quickly find that Burton’s Wonderland is the anti-Narnia. While talking animals abound, there are dangerous villains, poisonous potions and a wondrous array of different landscapes around every corner. This is an excellent use of the emerging and highly popular 3D technology and it adds considerably to the story without resorting to cheap gimmicks and gratuitous objects flying out of the screen.
The art direction here directly reflects Burton’s vision and perfectly channels Carroll’s imaginary world of Wonderland. Like “Avatar,” the scenery alone here is worth the price of admission. Unlike “Avatar,” the story is fresh and unique, holding our attention throughout. If anything, the film could have been longer, more detailed and more involved.
Overall, Burton’s Alice is a triumph.
Its PG rating makes it appropriate for all ages and the imagery and story will appeal to both children and parents alike.
Aaron Lane Morris works at Marquee’s Highland 8 Cinema in Glasgow. He is a graduate assistant in the economics department at WKU and contributor to the Glasgow Daily Times. He can be reached at aaronlane(at)gmail.com.
