Directed by Tim Burton
Starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Anne Hathaway, Matt Lucas, (and voice only:) Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen, Michael Gough, Christopher Lee

It's a good thing to go into a film without expectations, but this being a Burton/Depp-collaboration I could hardly do so. Burton has been one of my absolute favorite directors and Depp my hero as an actor. They both continue to be just that, but Alice In Wonderland is sadly a misfire on an otherwise bright path.

 Alice (Wasikowska) is a young adult and is about to be proposed by a douchie rich lord. She panics and follows a rabbit to a hole by a tree in which she falls in. Alice finds herself in a strange and fantastical world where her help is gravely needed in order to overthrow the evil Red Queen (Carter). On her quest she befriends strange characters such as the Mad Hatter (Depp).

 The film should've been called Return To Wonderland because just like Steven Spielberg's Hook, this Alice In Wonderland is actually a sequel to the original tale. And this being a Tim Burton film, there's lots and lots of eye candy and weird details, but that's also part of the problem. Burton's films of late have been much more about the visuals and not so much the substance. Where has the brilliant gothic vision of masterpieces such as Edward Scissorhands, Beetle Juice and Batman Returns gone? Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005) was a sign of things to come because it suffered from the exact same problem. Another disappointment is Depp who very rarely misfires, but sadly this film is such an example. It wouldn't be a problem if his Mad Hatter wasn't such a crucial character in the movie, but he is and it just doesn't work. Full points to the character of March Hare though.

KITEYTETTYNÄ SINIVALKOISILLE
Yleensä niin upeasti toimiva yhteistyö Burtonin ja Deppin välillä tuottaa Alice In Wonderlandin kohdalla harvinaisen pettymyksen. Elokuva kärsii samasta ongelmasta kuin kaksikon aiempi yhteistyö, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, eli silmälle on karamellia jos jonkinlaista, mutta itse sisältö on unohtunut pois matkan varrella. Mikään katastrofi ei silti ole kyseessä, mutta keskinkertaiseksi ja jähmeäksi jäänyt fantasia tämä on joka tapauksessa. Sitä paitsi kyseessä ei edes ole se vanha tuttu Liisa Ihmemaassa vaan itse asiassa jatko-osa.

Alice In Wonderland at IMDb