Blu-Ray Review: Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Paints the Roses Red

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CHICAGO – In so many ways, Tim Burton’s entire career has been building to “Alice in Wonderland”. The mega-hit (it’s still the #1 film of the year at the domestic box office although will likely be passed, just barely, by “Iron Man 2”) contains so many of Burton’s themes of individuality through a fantasy film lens while it also came under criticism for displaying the shallow lack of dramatic weight of his recent output. With a lovely Disney Blu-ray release, it’s easy to see both sides of one of the most critically divisive films of the year to date.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

Most critics reviled Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” ridiculing the film’s overly cartoonish look, formulaic script, and downright goofy final act, one that turned Lewis Carroll’s timeless world into an action flick. I totally get that. I wish the Burton who drew sketches of Edward Scissorhands with his charcoal pencil had taken a stab at “Alice in Wonderland” instead of the one who designs everything on his iMac. “Alice in Wonderland” looks too polished, too cartoon-ish, and often too much like a video game.

Alice in Wonderland was released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 1st, 2010
Photo credit: Walt Disney

“Alice in Wonderland” tells the story of the return of Alice (Mia Wasikowska) to the world of the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), White Queen (Anna Hathaway), Knave of Hearts (Crispin Glover), The White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), Absolem the Caterpillar (Alan Rickman), and many more. Alice is told that she alone can stop the reign of the evil Red Queen by slaying the Jabberwocky.

Alice in Wonderland was released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 1st, 2010 Photo credit: Walt Disney

The paper-thin plot of “Alice in Wonderland” is merely an excuse for Burton and his visual team to run wild like kids in a candy store. Combining live action and animation elements, there are shots and moments of “Alice” that look undeniably striking, especially in HD. But the cartoon-ish look of the piece, likely to get a PG and serve as a Disney tentpole, means a lack of dramatic depth and believablity. The cartoon “Alice in Wonderland” felt like it had higher stakes. Consequently, when the film goes from relatively charming in its goofy first two acts to serious action in the final act, it totally crumbles.

“Alice in Wonderland” is a double-edged sword in that the striking visuals are easily the best thing about it but also what ultimately makes the experience solely a visual one with no characters worth caring about nor storytelling depth to register beneath the surface-level story. Every time the piece begins to enrapture with its visuals, it stumbles with its relatively awful script. The spectacular design of the White Queen begins to draw you in and then the Mad Hatter does a hip hop-inspired dance. One step forward, one step back — such is the experience of “Alice in Wonderland”. Or as someone once said, “One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small.”

Of course, any film this reliant on its visuals is enhanced by Blu-ray and the Disney HD factory is undeniably excellent at remastering their works in HD. “Alice in Wonderland” looks great. As for special features, they’re a little more sparse than we’ve come to expect from the mouse house, but they’ll do until a likely Special Edition somewhere down the road.

Special Features:
o “Wonderland Characters” (27:56)
o “Making Wonderland” (19:29)

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com