Alice In Wonderland Tim Burton can display a pristine knack for heartfelt emotion. In such films as Big Fish and Edward Scissorhands his attention to character dynamics and credence against a surreal or gothic backdrop was masterful. The problem that Burton has is that it only appears when he wants it to.
As Burton has also been known for creating fantasy worlds full of gothic exuberance and festive visions, Alice In Wonderland may be no exception and it may just be his most visionary picture to date. Sadly, it is nothing more than glossy veneer over thin substance.
In the first few minutes of the film there is a scene between the 6-year old Alice and her father. Alice talks about a dream in which she believed she saw many of the sights that later appear in Wonderland, and asks her father if he thinks she has gone mad. Her father says lovingly that indeed she has, but all the best people are. This scene eclipses the rest of the film both in terms of dimension and tenderness.
The rest of Alice In Wonderland relies on Burton's visual eye, but anyone wanting something more than CGI and Disney-esque cuteness will feel alienated. As Alice In Wonderland gives no real insight into its characters, and even the character of Alice feels like a broad-definition of a few general traits, instead of a complete character.
The movie may be well acted by many of its principals (e.g. can you really have a better actor than Johnny Depp portraying The Mad Hatter?) Yet much of its feels phony, and Alice in Wonderland feels like a film that will only please pubescent audiences through its harmlessness, or those that have an adolescent framed mind in which good visuals will trick them into thinking the film is stronger than it is.
One does also not quite understand the 3D aspect of the film, as the extra dimension frankly just feels like a gimmick in a time in which those type of films are getting the most money (Avatar). While Alice In Wonderland works on the retina level, what it lacks is that good 'ole Burton heart, soul, and brain.
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