Tim Burton once again introduces us to another world, this time Underland (a.k.a. Wonderland) in his re-imagining of Lewis Carroll’s books. With Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter) and Helena Bonham Carter (Red Queen) leading the cast alongside newcomer Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Nineteen-year-old Alice once again enters Underland, seemingly oblivious of her childhood trip. Alice goes on a journey to become an adult and re-gain her “muchness” (heart) after the death of her father, whilst battling alongside the virtuous White Queen (Anne Hathaway) to end the reign of the tyrannous Red Queen.
This is a typical Burton gore-fest, with the Jabberwocky and most of the beheaded drawing gasps from the audience. Burton characteristically balances these scares with cute, loveable characters such as the loyal bloodhound Bayard (Timothy Spall) and great adult humour, with the biggest laughs coming from the March Hare and numerous one-liners. Danny Elfman’s score is atmospheric, emotional and aptly fits each scene.
Although Burton alludes to Carroll with the Jabberwocky, Red Knights and the final battle on the chessboard, for fans of Carroll there seems to be an omission of a lot of his riddles and quirks that would have been a great addition to this film. Nevertheless, it is obvious that Burton wanted to create his own vision of a sequel to Disney’s original animation, and he ultimately draws inspiration and creates a composite adventure from both of Carroll’s Alice-based stories.
Star performances include Matt Lucas, who both charmed and teased the audience as the infamous Tweedledee/Tweedledum, and Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat. Expect to see more of outstanding newcomer Wasikowska, but predictably Depp and Bonham-Carter steal the show. Depp portrays the Hatter as a romantic-madcap, capturing the affections of the audience, and this is contrasted brilliantly with Bonham-Carter’s cruel, infantile Red Queen, who yearns to be loved.
Overall, Burton again shows his mastery at creating exciting and enjoyable, yet typically bizarre, films. This film is a must-see of 2010, with a superb composition, cast and score. Just forgive the flaws and see Burton is getting back on to, nearly, his best.