The Wonderful Remakes of Alice in Wonderland?

This past Sunday I went to see the new Alice in Wonderland film in the IMAX 3D experience. Firstly, I would like to say that I enjoyed the film; I found it entertaining, and that's in spite of my nearly front row seat (thanks to my friends not getting there particularly early)! What I did not realize going in, which I somewhat appreciated about the film, was that it was not an attempt at a straight remake of the Disney classic I grew up with. Instead, the film was more like a sequel, depicting an older Alice's return to "Underland". Similar to the recent remake of Star Trek, I think the writers and creators of the films realize that much too often fans are simply disappointed by failed attempts to recreate beloved originals; so they offer a twist that presents us with what they hope will be a new classic. Star Trek was much more successful at this than Alice in Wonderland, but I thought the later's attempt was fairly cohesive. As with all Tim Burton films, it was a little creepy and visually rich. A successful Burton film if you ask me ;)

I understand that Johnny Depp helps put butts in seats (it certainly helped me want to go!) but I think it was not the best idea to make him the focal point of film promotion. I mean he is absolutely center in the above poster! I thought his acting was great, but I really wasn't satisfied by the character. I was left wanting more out of the Hatter's story in the context of the adventure. I would have appreciated a stronger Alice character. In many ways I think her personal journey was somewhat of a side thought. There was a lot of potential for deep and complex character development with many of the characters, Alice, The Hatter, and the Red Queen in particular that sometimes fell a little short. I think Helena Bonham Carter's portrayal of the Red Queen was the most successful and compelling, offering the audience a more intimate look at the more complex nature of the tyrant's personality such as her longing for love and companionship. And nothing really beats The Hatter's "futterwacken" sequence near the end of the film, even if it's not actually Johnny Depp dancing, it's nice to pretend that it is :)

Another notable remake of the childhood classic is SyFy's Alice, a two part made-for-TV movie/ mini-series. The synopsis of this futuristic interpretation is that it is the story of Alice Hamilton, a young, martial arts instructor "with commitment issues." I think it is very well done and intriguing, in particular its interesting portrayal of the relationship between Alice and the Hatter. In this version Wonderland is ruled by the Queen of Hearts, played by Kathy Bates, who rules over her casino castle and imports humans, or "Oysters", from the real world forcing them to "play" while simultaneously draining them of their emotions in order to distribute the distilled joy, excitement and satisfaction to her subjects in an effort to pacify her subjects.

Overall I highly recommend checking out both of these films. And as Roger Ebert best describes in his review of the film, it really isnt' a film for children. Don't expect the Disney cartoon from your childhood, but be open and be entertained. :)