‘Alice in Wonderland’ throws logic down the rabbit hole

Logic has never seemed more absurd than in the beloved classic Alice in Wonderland. This new innovative sequel to the original Disney version captures almost all of the senses with its use of 3D images and vibrant CGI effects, making the world that Alice steps into even more engaging. Wonderland proved to be the same fantastical place that all of us as kids have once visited; a place our imaginations feed on and a place where anything is conceivable.

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This film picks up about 10 years later from the first animated version. Alice suffers from a recurring dream that begins to become visible in her real life. When the white rabbit appears through the bushes, just like before, Alice can’t help but follow him, and down the rabbit hole she goes. Convincing her-self the whole time that it all is just a dream and none of what is in front of her can be real. From there her journey begins with the smoke-enraptured caterpillar giving his sage advice to the rescuing of the Mad Hatter from the wicked Red Queen.

Unlike the Disney version, this Alice in Wonderland is much darker than before. There are no singing flowers or cute little creatures. Directed by Tim Burton, this film falls steadily in line with his past movies, which were dark and mysterious. The characters are not just singing puppets but they are exposed to the audience as creatures with feelings and intense histories. Burton gives depth to these characters by using visual techniques to capture their madness and current predicaments by showing flashbacks of past events. He makes this fairytale less sugar and sweet and more realistic of human natures.

The Mad Hatter, played by Johnny Depp, has proven to be the stand-out character of the film. This film features superb casting, as Depp is adept at camouflaging into wild and peculiar characters while still maintaining a level of sincerity and appeal.

However, he was overshadowed by one other great character actor. Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen was a perfect fit as the Red Queen. From her gigantic head to her witty dialogue, she was by far the most humorous character of the whole film.

Her spunk and attitude are just what the film needed in order to capture the realism and darkness that are shown through Burton’s films. Paranoid of her big head and judgments made by others, the Red Queen only surrounds herself with other people with large abnormalities. Carter brings this insecurity to the screen seamlessly and without hesitation.

Alice was played by a relatively unknown, Mia Wasikowska, which was by far the best decision the studio could have made. Her naivety allowed her to proclaim the role of Alice as her own and provided the audience with a relatable main character. Thankfully they didn’t decide to use some singer/actor/dancer to play the role and instead took the chance on an unknown, which ultimately made the film far more appealing.

This film pushed boundaries even further with its use of 3D effects, enhancing the descent into Wonderland. Primarily composed of CGI, this film proved the perfect stepping stone for 3D innovativeness. No other story could be more perfectly adapted for 3D than this one.

Alice in Wonderland proved true to predictions, as it is one of the best adaptations of a Disney sequel that has ever been created. This film may target a slightly older audience due to its sinister language and images, but if anyone can rise to the challenge of alluring people of all ages it would be Tim Burton.

So follow the white rabbit to the movie theaters; if you don’t, you will have been late for a very important date.