« Alice is a Wonderland of fun »

Rating: 3 out of Fordyce 

The latest offering from Tim Burton is Alice in Wonderland. This magical and imaginative twist on one of the most beloved stories of all time is a sequel of sorts. Mia Wasikowska is a grown-up, 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl. This time the characters expect her to fulfill her destiny in a fight against the Red Queen, played by Helena Bonham Carter.

The gang is all there: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, a great Cheshire Cat, and, of course, the Mad Hatter, played by Johnny Depp. Depp is great, as is Carter, but Alice is a little dull at first, until she grows on you.

The story line is good, but the ending is very predictable, and I did not like the animation used to make the red Queen’s head bigger.

The other animation here is great, and Burton paid close attention to detail and background shots, which help bring this movie to life.

This trip to Wonderland has a few holes in it besides the one Alice falls into, but they can be overlooked to give this film a good three out of Fordyce. It is rated PG for fantasy action and violence, some scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar, so I suggest the little ones be left at home.