Alice in Wonderland

A sequel to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, Alice in Wonderland follows a grown-up Alice (Mia Wasikowska) as she’s summoned back into the title fantasy world by Michael Sheen’s White Rabbit – with the film subsequently revolving around Alice’s ongoing efforts at ending the Red Queen’s (Helena Bonham Carter) reign of terror. There’s little doubt that Alice in Wonderland boasts as impressive and frequently eye-popping a visual sensibility as filmmaker Tim Burton has become known for, as the director does a superb job of transforming Wonderland into an immersive, downright astonishing landscape that ultimately stands as the movie’s most compelling attribute. It’s just as clear, however, that the film’s decidedly thin storyline effectively (and continually) prevents the viewer from wholeheartedly embracing the proceedings, with the proliferation of oddball yet far-from-engrossing characters proving instrumental in perpetuating the movie’s arm’s-length atmosphere – although, to be fair, there are a few notable exceptions to this (with Carter’s amusingly over-the-top turn as the capricious Red Queen an obvious highlight). By the time the larger-than-life, battle-heavy finale rolls around, Alice in Wonderland has undoubtedly established itself as an endeavor that’s big on spectacle yet small on plot – which cements its place as big-budget timewaster that just barely manages to squeak by as a result of Burton’s visual flair (but really, the movie should’ve been so, so much better).

**1/2 out of ****