Alice in Wonderland's storyline is simple. That is exactly how a script should employ itself. But, what renders it unique is Tim Burton's ambitious universe with luxurious production design! When it comes to the director, he has a template. With this film, he might have just used his best at the time to pull you into the world and show what he has in store for the next 2 hours or so, right from Danny Elfman's resplendent score!
When Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is introduced, we as the audiences could easily feel her suffocation. She's being forced to do things that aren't in her best interests. She is still in the stage of discovering herself. And what could be a better place to do it with freedom than Underland, the new Wonderland?
Imagine you're a child, lost in a world you do not understand, which eventually ensues a journey of discovery. What's real, what's not? What's impossible, what's not? Tim Burton has exactly captured this tone & manifested it into a childlike wonderment of a motion picture! It's a precise note to hit, and singing praises alone aren't enough for the bang-up job! What a crazy, fantastical, magical & mystical adventure!
To amplify all these, the makers throw in exceptional character designs & concepts at you! These are characters who repeat gestures, and in time, you're well-versed with their characterizations & behaviors! Tweedledee & Tweedledum (Matt Lucas), Jubjub Bird, Absolem the Caterpillar (voiced by Alan Rickman), Jabberwocky the Dragon (Christopher Lee), Bandersnatch, Cheshire the Smiling Cat (Stephen Fry), White Queen's & the Red Queen's Soldiers will stay with you even long after the movie ends. Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter is okay, but this discussion is not over without mentioning Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen! Holy grace, what a persona to fall in love with!
If there's one word to describe the setting, cinematography & colors, it would be pristine. There's some serious amount of creative juices overflow here! Warm pig belly for aching feet, chessboard as battle arena, human faces as pebbles & roses with visages are remarkable! Even the varying castles look stunning! The visual effects are great for the most parts, while being cartoony at some. The dialogues are full of weird jargons & sound oddly satisfying!
Off to the downside, the screenplay is lengthy. As a result, certain scenes become midair. Mia's makeup as Alice's a little too much & the chase for her gets repetitive. One is not sure why Bayard the Bloodhound's (Timothy Spall) suddenly left out of hold from the Red Queen's Soldiers. Pop song for Futterwacken really drops out of context.
"You're mad, bonkers, off your head. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are."