ALICE IN WONDERLAND
I saw 'Alice' today in 3D at the IMAX. I don't have other views to compare it to yet, but I loved the digital 3D in IMAX size. I never felt like I was viewing 3D at all unless I turned my head too far from center or took the glasses off. I plan to see it again (and maybe again, and again...) in regular 3D on a normal-sized screen, so I'll be able to compare then. But if you can, I'd certainly recommend seeing it in the digital 3D IMAX.
The film is perfectly done (actually, I want to say brilliantly done, but then I'd be using the word 'brilliant' every other line, which is what I feel like doing). The visuals of Underland, the special effects and all that, are very clever, true to the original Tenniel illustrations in many instances. Wonderfully, I never felt like I was watching CGI or special effects, which is pretty amazing. It all seemed very real, and very cool.
The cast was fabulous, with one tiny exception I'll mention in a bit. The girl who plays Alice is perfect, both visually and in her role. I love how they managed to give her so many different costumes. All the over-the-top possibilities I was afraid of didn't happen, it was all very well-acted. HBC's Red Queen was a hoot from start to finish. She didn't overdo it and yet was a nasty loon ;-) Anne Hathaway's White Queen took me longer to 'get', and at first I didn't like her, but I gradually realized that since this is Underland, *everybody* is whacked in one way another, and the White Queen is obsessive about her "goodness" as much as the Red Queen is obsessive about her badness, lol, and then I realized it would be very difficult for AH to get this across, as it has to be subtle where HBC's Red Queen could be more obvious.
What can I say about the Mad Hatter? Johnny Depp was flat-out BRILLIANT! There, I've said it again. (Wasn't that the name of a song, lol.) He was PERFECT. NOT OTT at all, and he managed to be totally loony and sad and sympathetic at the same time, as well as brave. He was nuts and lovable at the same time, but not lovable in a 'silly' way, if that makes sense. Lots of pathos in JD's Hatter. You wanted to take him home and take care of him.
The 'real life' cast was kind of a who's who of Masterpiece Theatre and British film & television, and so were the character voices. One character voice you'll get RIGHT away, the others you might have to look up.
I could have wished for more scenes of "Underland" (little Alice got it wrong, you see) and more bits from the book, but they couldn't put everything in, I know. I wouldn't have minded if it had been 10-15 minutes longer and we got to see more of the place. Oh, almost forgot - Tweedledum and Tweedledee were hilarious, and very, very cleverly done. I fell in love with Bayard, and with the bandersnatch - not to mention the Cheshire Cat, whose voice may surprise you ;-) He was very cool.
The one glaringly creepy bit? In the beginning we see six year old Alice being tucked up in bed - portrayed by a JonBenet lookalike with eyeliner, eyeshadow, lipstick and a wig. THAT was creepy!
I wouldn't, BTW, take toddlers to see the film, or maybe any kid under 7, depending on the kid, because there is some stuff that IMO would be too much for the average kid under that age, in the threatened violence, vague illusions to torture, and scary monster area.
Can't WAIT to go see it again!
The film is perfectly done (actually, I want to say brilliantly done, but then I'd be using the word 'brilliant' every other line, which is what I feel like doing). The visuals of Underland, the special effects and all that, are very clever, true to the original Tenniel illustrations in many instances. Wonderfully, I never felt like I was watching CGI or special effects, which is pretty amazing. It all seemed very real, and very cool.
The cast was fabulous, with one tiny exception I'll mention in a bit. The girl who plays Alice is perfect, both visually and in her role. I love how they managed to give her so many different costumes. All the over-the-top possibilities I was afraid of didn't happen, it was all very well-acted. HBC's Red Queen was a hoot from start to finish. She didn't overdo it and yet was a nasty loon ;-) Anne Hathaway's White Queen took me longer to 'get', and at first I didn't like her, but I gradually realized that since this is Underland, *everybody* is whacked in one way another, and the White Queen is obsessive about her "goodness" as much as the Red Queen is obsessive about her badness, lol, and then I realized it would be very difficult for AH to get this across, as it has to be subtle where HBC's Red Queen could be more obvious.
What can I say about the Mad Hatter? Johnny Depp was flat-out BRILLIANT! There, I've said it again. (Wasn't that the name of a song, lol.) He was PERFECT. NOT OTT at all, and he managed to be totally loony and sad and sympathetic at the same time, as well as brave. He was nuts and lovable at the same time, but not lovable in a 'silly' way, if that makes sense. Lots of pathos in JD's Hatter. You wanted to take him home and take care of him.
The 'real life' cast was kind of a who's who of Masterpiece Theatre and British film & television, and so were the character voices. One character voice you'll get RIGHT away, the others you might have to look up.
I could have wished for more scenes of "Underland" (little Alice got it wrong, you see) and more bits from the book, but they couldn't put everything in, I know. I wouldn't have minded if it had been 10-15 minutes longer and we got to see more of the place. Oh, almost forgot - Tweedledum and Tweedledee were hilarious, and very, very cleverly done. I fell in love with Bayard, and with the bandersnatch - not to mention the Cheshire Cat, whose voice may surprise you ;-) He was very cool.
The one glaringly creepy bit? In the beginning we see six year old Alice being tucked up in bed - portrayed by a JonBenet lookalike with eyeliner, eyeshadow, lipstick and a wig. THAT was creepy!
I wouldn't, BTW, take toddlers to see the film, or maybe any kid under 7, depending on the kid, because there is some stuff that IMO would be too much for the average kid under that age, in the threatened violence, vague illusions to torture, and scary monster area.
Can't WAIT to go see it again!