Movie Night: Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

Long, long have we held off in watching Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland for two reasons: (1) I used to feel trapped and depressed watching the Disney version as a little girl, (2) this one looked really dark. But last night Daniel rented it for us, being a large fan of Johnny Depp's acting. I am no good at synopsises, but in short, I really liked it!

Here's the scoop:

Alice (played by Mia Wasikowski) is a young lady of nineteen. Despite her epically horrible baby-powder-paleness in the first scenes, she is sweet, innocent, and girlish. She definitely does not fit in with Society.

Lady Ascot: "Imbeciles! The garden is planted with white roses when I'd specifically asked for red!"
Alice: "You could always paint the roses red!"

I loved how the movie incorporated these little familiar glimpses of Wonderland even while Alice was still up here. When she gets down there...now that is interesting! Despite my dismal predictions that everything would be just as depressing as I remembered the Disney version being, the characters redeemed the slightly (read very) odd plot.

Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum were darlings, and made me laugh. 

They were not at all as mean and cross as Disney portrayed them, and you could tell they were sweet. :)
The March Hare had us wriggling uncomfortably and laughing a lot throughout the movie. He's just so ugly! And that habit he had of staring at you with one eye! Blech!

"Spoon!" <--he was always throwing things and saying their names dreamily! :D

I loved the Cheshire Cat! He was pompous, cuddly, smooth, and yet not evil. And they dropped that annoying, cynical laugh that Disney (old version) had attached to him. Plus he has blue stripes in his fur.  Can you get better than that?

Then you have the Red Queen (Helena Bonham-Carter) Ugh! She was so horrible and cross and hilarious! The thing I loved best about her was that tantrum-note in her voice: "OFFWITHISHEAD!" It sounded so much like a little kid yelling. :) She and her knave. Ew.

The Hatter: "What a regrettably large head you have. I would very much like to hat it. I used to hat the White Queen, you know. Her head was so small."
The Red Queen: "It's tiny. It's a pimple of a head."

There are many more characters, including the Caterpillar (voiced by Allen Rickman..."The air is full of spices," anyone?) and the White Queen (complete with horrid brownish lipstick and played by Ann Hathaway) but perhaps my favorite character of all was The Mad Hatter. :)

Hatter: "Your carriage, my lady."
Alice: "A hat?"
Hatter: "Of course. Anyone can go by horse or rail, but the absolute best way to travel is by hat. Have I made a rhyme?"

My one complaint was that he had so much makeup on that I couldn't even see it was Johnny Depp. He looked pretty much hideous. I mean honestly--must you have such orange hair and pink lips? It was just kinda weird. I wished I could see more of his natural face because that would probably have made him even better. The Hatter was cheerful, valiant, entirely mad, and exceedingly loyal. But the thing that sealed him to my heart forever was the fact that for some strange reason, every time he got in a fighting mood, Johhny Depp gave the Hatter a Scottish accent. A very good Scottish accent. There are few things more perfect for slaying Bandersnatches and Jabberwockys than a good accent to keep your spirits high. :) <3

He and Alice are so sweet together and I really did almost wish Alice could stay in Wonderland for his sake. But of course it was best for her to go home after slaying the Jabberwocky. And there was the promise that she would come back someday. :)

So did I like this movie? Yes! Would I recommend it? Yes--if you don't mind a certain level of madness. ;) There was nothing remarkably reprehensible in this movie that was not dealt with. The worst thing was that Alice's brother-in-law was caught in the garden kissing someone else, but that was portrayed as being quite wrong.

Now I shall leave you with some quote-ables and the wish that you might have a Frabjous Day yourself with plenty of Futterwhacking and all that.

The Hatter: "You're not the same as you were before..you were much more "muchier."  You've lost your muchness."
Alice: "My muchness?"
The Hatter: (pointing to her heart) "In there."

*  *  *

Young Alice: "Do you think I've gone round the bend?"
Her Father: "I'm afraid so...you're mad...bonkers...off your head. But I'll tell you a secret: All the best people are!"

*  *  *

The Hatter: "Well...the entire world's falling to pieces and poor Cheshire's off his tea."