Enchanting and mordant, but does it need an action climax?

alice in wonderland movie review essay

One is -dum, the other -dee.

Disney presents a film directed by Tim Burton . Written by Linda Woolverton , based on the books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. Running time: 108 minutes. Rated PG (for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and a smoking caterpillar).

As a young reader, I found Alice in Wonderland creepy and rather distasteful. Alice’s adventures played like a series of encounters with characters whose purpose was to tease, puzzle and torment her. Few children would want to go to wonderland, and none would want to stay. The problem may be that I encountered the book too young and was put off by the alarming John Tenniel illustrations. Why did Alice have such deep, dark eye sockets? Why couldn’t Wonderland be cozy like the world of Pooh? Watching the 1951 Disney film, I feared the Cheshire Cat was about to tell me something I didn’t want to know.

Tim Burton’s new 3-D version of “Alice in Wonderland” answers my childish questions. This has never been a children’s story. There’s even a little sadism embedded in Carroll’s fantasy. It reminds me of uncles who tickle their nieces until they scream. “ Alice ” plays better as an adult hallucination, which is how Burton rather brilliantly interprets it until a pointless third act flies off the rails. It was a wise idea by Burton and his screenwriter, Linda Woolverton, to devise a reason that Alice ( Mia Wasikowska ) is now a grown girl in her late teens, revisiting a Wonderland that remains much the same, as fantasy worlds must always do.

Burton is above all a brilliant visual artist, and his film is a pleasure to regard; I look forward to admiring it in 2-D, where it will look brighter and more colorful. No artist who can create these images is enhancing them in any way by adding the annoying third dimension. But never mind that.

He brings to Carroll’s characters an appearance as distinctive and original as Tenniel’s classic illustrations. These are not retreads of familiar cartoon images. They’re grotesques, as they should be, from the hydrocephalic forehead of the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) to Tweedledee and Tweedledum ( Matt Lucas ), who seem to have been stepped on. Wonderland itself is not limited to necessary props, such as a tree limb for the Cheshire Cat and a hookah for the Caterpillar, but extends indefinitely as an alarming undergrowth beneath a lowering sky. Why you can see the sky from beneath the earth is not a fair question. (The landscape was designed by Robert Stromberg of “ Avatar .”)

When we meet her again, Alice has decidedly mixed feelings about her original trip down the rabbit hole, but begins to recall Wonderland more favorably as she’s threatened with an arranged marriage to Hamish Ascot ( Leo Bill ), a conceited snot-nose twit. At the moment of truth in the wedding ceremony, she impulsively scampers away to follow another rabbit down another rabbit hole and finds below that she is actually remembered from her previous visit.

Burton shows us Wonderland as a perturbing place where the inhabitants exist for little apparent reason other than to be peculiar and obnoxious. Do they reproduce? Most species seem to have only one member, as if nature quit while she was ahead. The ringleader is the Mad Hatter, played by Johnny Depp , that rare actor who can treat the most bizarre characters with perfect gravity. Whoever he plays (Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka, Ichabod Crane), he is that character through and through.

This is a Wonderland that holds perils for Alice, played by Wasikowska with beauty and pluck. The Red Queen wishes her ill, and the White Queen ( Anne Hathaway ) wishes her well, perhaps because both are formed according to the rules of Wonderland queens. To be sure, the insecure White Queen doesn’t exhaust herself in making Alice welcome. The Queens, the Mad Hatter, Alice, the Knave of Hearts ( Crispin Glover ) and presumably Tweedledee and Tweedledum are versions of humans; the others are animated, voiced with great zest by such as Stephen Fry (Cheshire), Alan Rickman (Absolem the Caterpillar), Michael Sheen (White Rabbit), Christopher Lee (Jabberwocky), Timothy Spall (Bayard) and Barbara Windsor (Dormouse).

The film is enchanting in its mordant way until, unfortunately, it arrives at its third act. Here I must apologize to faithful readers for repeating myself. Time after time I complain when a film develops an intriguing story and then dissolves it in routine and boring action. We’ve seen every conceivable battle sequence, every duel, all carnage, countless showdowns and all-too-long fights to the finish.

Why does “Alice in Wonderland” have to end with an action sequence? Characters not rich enough? Story run out? Little minds, jazzed by sugar from the candy counter, might get too worked up without it? Or is it that executives, not trusting their artists and timid in the face of real stories, demand an action climax as insurance? Insurance of what? That the story will have a beginning and a middle but nothing so tedious as an ending?

alice in wonderland movie review essay

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

alice in wonderland movie review essay

  • Johnny Depp as Mad Hatter
  • Anne Hathaway as White Queen
  • Helena Bonham-Carter as Red Queen
  • Mia Wasikowska as Alice
  • Crispin Glover as Knave
  • Stephen Fry as Cheshire Cat
  • Timothy Spall as Bayard
  • Michael Sheen as White Rabbit
  • Alan Rickman as Caterpillar
  • Christopher Lee as Jabberwocky

Leave a comment

Now playing.

We Live in Time

We Live in Time

Look Into My Eyes

Look Into My Eyes

The Front Room

The Front Room

Matt and Mara

Matt and Mara

The Thicket

The Thicket

The Mother of All Lies

The Mother of All Lies

The Paragon

The Paragon

My First Film

My First Film

Don’t Turn Out the Lights

Don’t Turn Out the Lights

I’ll Be Right There

I’ll Be Right There

Red Rooms

The Greatest of All Time

Latest articles.

alice in wonderland movie review essay

TIFF 2024: Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, Sharp Corner, The Quiet Ones

alice in wonderland movie review essay

TIFF 2024: Dahomey, Bird, Oh Canada

alice in wonderland movie review essay

TIFF 2024: The Cut, The Luckiest Man in America, Nutcrackers

Telluride 2024 Film Festival

The Telluride Tea: My Diary of the 2024 Telluride Film Festival

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

  • Become a Critical Movie Critic
  • Movie Review Archives

The Critical Movie Critics

Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland (2010)

  • Chris Sawin
  • Movie Reviews
  • One response
  • --> March 6, 2011

13 years have passed since Alice first visited Wonderland. She was just a little girl back then — a mad, little girl plagued by a nightmare. Now, almost 20, Alice finds herself thrust headfirst into adulthood yet continues to have the same dream for as long as she can remember. On the verge of being thrown into a marriage she’s unsure of, Alice finds herself easily distracted by the simplest things. What would it be like to fly? What if women wore trousers and men wore dresses? Or the fact that wearing a corset is similar to wearing a codfish on your head. The White Rabbit eventually distracts Alice long enough to lead her back down the rabbit hole for a return visit to Wonderland, but Alice is still under the impression that it’s all a dream and has no recollection of her first trip there. Since Alice’s first visit, however, the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) used the Jabberwocky to relinquish the crown from her sister, the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), and now reigns supreme as the queen of Wonderland. As the creatures of Wonderland debate whether this Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is the “right Alice” that is destined to kill the Jabberwocky and end the Red Queen’s reign, Alice struggles with trying to wake up from this very realistic dream.

As a huge fan of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass , I was seriously looking forward to Alice in Wonderland , the latest retelling of the famous story. The pairing of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, whether you love it or hate it, has resulted in some fairly creative and successful works. At this point in his career, it’s fairly easy to spot something that Tim Burton has done. Like most directors, he has a specific style and Burton’s seems to revolve around things that are dark, grisly, and bizarre all rolled into one. So how would Burton’s wonderfully grotesque style mesh with Lewis Carroll’s delightfully imaginative Alice and her trip to Wonderland? To be blunt, beautifully.

The way Burton went about the subject matter is probably the best way to go. It’s an original tale with characters that are already well-established and are admired by a mass audience. That thin line, between homage and plagiarism that is often tread in situations like this, isn’t quite so thin anymore and here it mainly follows the homage path. Burton’s style also sheds new light on Wonderland or casts a larger shadow on it depending on how you look at it. Beheadings are common, the monsters like the Bandersnatch and the Jabberwocky are gruesome, and the Dormouse has a thing about stabbing creatures in the eye. It’s like if Lewis Carroll’s vision met a bizarro, cracked out, Grimm’s Fairy Tale version of itself.

The bizarre thing is that the secondary characters seem to be more interesting than the primary ones. I found myself drawn to characters like the Dodo Bird, the White Rabbit, the March Hare, the Cheshire Cat, the Executioner, the Red Queen’s knights, and the Jabberwocky more than say Alice or the White Queen. That could be due to the fact that I’m drawn to the peculiar and I’m also an aficionado of the ridiculous. However, some characters seemed to be lacking interest (The White Queen) or enthusiasm (Alice) while secondary characters would fill that gap, so it seemed to balance out in the end.

I loved nearly everything about the film ranging from the Red Queen’s outlandish reign to Johnny Depp’s portrayal of The Mad Hatter to Tim Burton’s version of Wonderland itself. Even Crispin Glover’s role as the Knave of Hearts was exceptional. There are, however, a few things about the film that didn’t sit well with me or that seemed questionable. One of them was the addition of Bayard the Bloodhound whom Alice rides across Wonderland. The addition isn’t necessarily bad as the character gains sympathy from the audience rather effortlessly, but the character just didn’t seem essential to the story like the other characters were. Maybe it’s because it’s a character Lewis Carroll didn’t create and it left me wondering, “If you are going to introduce a character into an oddball world, wouldn’t something odder be the answer . . . something like an ostrich or perhaps a roadrunner?” What also didn’t sit well with me about Alice in Wonderland can be summed up with one four syllable word: Futterwhacken. What the hell was that? It was like if Regan from The Exorcist decided to start river dancing during a rather serious seizure. The concept wasn’t a bad one, but its execution should have been something completely different.

And I’m not sure if it was just the theater I was in or what, but it was hard to understand the characters at times. The Mad Hatter and the tea party scene, especially. Every other character was perfectly audible, the music was booming, and the battle scenes were exceptionally loud. The Mad Hatter’s mumbling and the March Hare’s ramblings are just hard to understand, which is unfortunate as they’re two of the characters you’ll want to hear the most.

Alice in Wonderland is frame-for-frame Burton’s ghastly version of the tale everyone knows and loves. While his particular vision may appear to not be for everyone on the surface, if you’re a fan of his previous work, Johnny Depp, the original Alice in Wonderland , or even all three, then it’s safe to say you’re more than likely going to love this adaptation.

The Critical Movie Critics

I've been a critic for about four years now. Joined the Houston Film Critics Society in August of 2010. I hope to become a Tomatometer critic for Rotten Tomatoes and a member of the Online Film Critics Society in the coming months.

Movie Review: Scream 4 (2011) Movie Review: Sucker Punch (2011) Movie Review: The Warlords (2007) Movie Review: After.Life (2009) Movie Review: Repo Men (2010) Movie Review: Biutiful (2010) Movie Review: Halloween II (2009)

'Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland (2010)' has 1 comment

The Critical Movie Critics

July 10, 2012 @ 1:30 am Iltha

My math professor quotes from Alice in Wonderland so much. Claims it has some deep decent messages in there..

Log in to Reply

Privacy Policy | About Us

 |  Log in

alice in wonderland movie review essay

Alice in Wonderland (2010) Review: Ode to Child-like Imagination

  • Clotilde Chinnici
  • August 12, 2024

Alice looks down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010) translates the themes of childhood wonder and growing up into cinematic terms.

Director: Tim Burton Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Adaptation Run Time: 108′ Release Date: March 5, 2010 Where to watch: on digital & VOD

“Why is a raven like a writing desk?” Asks the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) in Alice in Wonderland. The first time I watched the film, the question stayed with me so much that I kept asking all the adults in my life, searching for an answer that would satisfy me. At the time, I was barely a teenager and certainly younger than the protagonist of the movie, and yet Tim Burton’s film spoke to me in many ways.

As the years passed, I found myself re-visiting the film over and over and discovering that I could always find something new to enjoy and appreciate, no matter at what age I watched it.

Set in 1868, Alice in Wonderland follows Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska, of Club Zero ), a 19-year-old woman struggling with societal pressure over marriage and with the recent loss of her father. Alice also recalls having the same strange nightmare that she has always had since she was a kid. At a garden party where she is expected to accept an unwanted marriage proposal by Hamish Ascot (Leo Bill), Alice spots a White Rabbit (Michael Sheen, of Good Omens ) with a pocket watch and follows him down a rabbit hole which will take her to Wonderland . Here, she will meet friends – including the Mad Hatter, the White Queen (Anne Hathaway, of Mothers’ Instinct ), and the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry, of The Sandman ) and foes, such as the evil Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter, of One Life ).

In Wonderland, everybody is looking for Alice , as they all believe she will be the one to help restore the White Queen to her rightful throne by defeating a terrifying dragon called Jabberwocky that the Red Queen uses to terrorise the kingdom. This may all seem absurd – to everyone but Alice, since she’s convinced that this is nothing but a dream for the entire first half of the film – but the protagonist will soon learn that this is very much real, in more ways than one. In fact, Alice in Wonderland also portrays Alice’s transition into adulthood : the physical journey into Wonderland mirrors a psychological journey of personal growth in the main character. In this sense, the adaptation is very insightful as Alice’s search for identity becomes one of the main pillars the movie stands on.

The made hatter sits at a table with a cup in front of him and Alice sitting next to him, much smaller than normal, in the film Alice in Wonderland (2010)

As she gets ready to fight the Jabberwocky, the biggest lesson that Alice has to learn is how to live her life for herself, rather than to please others. While the challenges that she faces may be fictional, they represent very real struggles that Alice faces outside of Wonderland, which are explored in much more depth in Burton’s adaptation compared to the original book by Lewis Carroll. In Alice’s real life, everyone expects her to get married to the most eligible prospect and forget all about her dreams and ambitions. And yet, her imagination and childlike curiosity are the attributes that make her the Alice that everybody is looking for in Wonderland. “Sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast,” she says at the end of Alice in Wonderland , reminding us that even as grown-ups we should always nurture our desire for imagination and adventure.

The theme of childhood wonder is not only present in the plot and narrative of Alice in Wonderland, which essentially mirrors that of fairytales, but also in its visuals . From the moment Alice falls down the rabbit hole, everything looks as if this were a dream: from the vibrant colours to the uniquely designed talking animals she meets, Wonderland immediately looks different from the real world the protagonist momentarily leaves behind. In this sense, the film is particularly impressive in the way it portrays Wonderland and its inhabitants: each of the characters and each of the settings we see throughout the movie is unique, making everyone and everything stand out from the moment they first appear on the screen.

Further rewatches of the film have each inspired me to see the movie differently and to appreciate every aspect of it, from both a technical and narrative standpoint. However, the one thing that always remains is its positive message , which encourages us to maintain child-like qualities of imagination and wonder. Most recently, the answer to the Mad Hatter’s cryptic riddle finally came to me: a raven is like a writing desk because they both have quills. And yet, if there is anything we can learn from Alice in Wonderland, it is that there is no fixed answer to any riddle – just like there is no pre-determined way to lead our lives – and we can very much make up our own answer and pave our way into this world. So, do you have any idea of why a raven is like a writing desk? Maybe a further rewatch of Tim Burton’s movie will inspire you to find your own answer.

Get it on Apple TV

Alice in Wonderland (2010) was released globally in theaters on March 5, 2010 and is now available to watch on digital and on demand. Read our ranking of all the Disney live action movies !

alice in wonderland movie review essay

Loud and Clear Reviews has an affiliate partnership with Apple, so we receive a share of the revenue from your purchase or streaming of the films when you click on the button on this page. This won’t affect how much you pay for them and helps us keep the site free for everyone.

  • TAGS: Tim Burton
  • Film Festivals , Films , TIFF

Seven Days Film Review: Uneven But Empowering

  • William Stottor
  • September 7, 2024

Bonjour Tristesse Film Review: Flat Retelling

  • Louis Roberts

Nutcrackers Film Review: Heart Over Head

Interview: director scandar copti on happy holidays.

  • Film Festivals , Films , Must Watch , Venice Film Festival

The Ties That Bind Us (L’Attachement) Film Review

  • Megan Fisher
  • Film Festivals , Films , Must Watch , TIFF

Space Cowboy Film Review: Takes Your Breath Away

  • Daniel Allen

LATEST POSTS

alice in wonderland movie review essay

  • Forgot your password?

The Movie Blog The Home Of The Correct Opinion

The last ronin: could judith hoag return to tmnt, the magic faraway tree movie: rebecca ferguson joins classic, zee5 global’s telugu entertainment takes the world by storm, the running man remake: glen powell and edgar wright team up, jatt and juliet 3: diljit dosanjh and neeru bajwa return, despicable me 4 – home entertainment giveaway, twisters home entertainment giveaway, alien: romulus free fandango giveaway, borderlands free movie ticket giveaway, alien: romulus – chicago – advance screening, the future of african cinema: director kaizer mokgobu, kritika kamra interview: gyaarah gyaarah’s groundbreaking story, interview: raghav juyal on ‘gyaraah gyaraah’, sunny singh talks “luv ki arrange marriage” and future roles, inside the minds behind of one must wash eyes, murshid episode 1 review: a gritty start to india’s crime throne saga, the rings of power season 2 episode 3 review: new twists, old shadows, the rings of power season 2 episode 2: sauron’s shadow looms large, the rings of power season 2 episode 1: sauron’s origins unveiled, terminator zero review: a familiar and intriguing spin, berlin trailer: a riveting spy thriller set to premiere on zee5 global, new trailer and poster released for halle berry’s never let go, sonic 3 trailer unleashes shadow the hedgehog, the lord of the rings: the war of the rohirrim trailer debuts today, unraveling the intensity: murshid on zee5 global, review: alice in wonderland.

' src=

Thanks for checking out our Alice in Wonderland review.

Genre: Fantasy Directed by: Tim Burton Staring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman Released: March 5, 2010

THE GENERAL IDEA

19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.

This film is a visual masterpiece. Seriously eyecatching. Tim Burton is stereotyped for going with bleak dark tones and this is the virtual opposite of all that. Where there needs to be darkness to illustrate a mood, its still used but this is eyecandy that goes beyond seeing.

Everything in Wonderland – sorry Underland (Alice misnamed it on her first visit) is tweaked. Even the most human looking of characters is somewhat altered, from Depp’s unreal eyes to Stayne’s (Crispin Glover) unnatural lanky form. It just adds a tiny element of fantasy to this unreal world that is populated already by unreal things. Alice is the only contstant “normal” in the visual world.

You can’t stop yourself from just “looking around” even when other things are going on.

And the characters are all great. Tweedle Dee and Dum are not irritating, but still idiots. The Red Queen is irrational, but not annoying. The Hatter is mad without being obnoxious (Depp nails it again). There is a careful balance in all the characters that make them impact without over doing it.

And Mia Wasikowska? Careful. You will fall in love with her. Maybe not Claire Danes magical, but this girl is infectious. In the trailers and images it didn’t look so, which worried me about this film, but she is just so likable. She is truly a person that is best experienced to grasp her full scope. You see a photo and she’s pretty, but after experiencing her in character, that same photo suddenly has more appeal.

And the creature designs are great and effects are incredible. Everything in this other world is just so powerful it is an experience

I just love Anne Hathaway. A natural beauty that doesn’t have to try too hard, just seems to be trying too hard here. Her “White Queen” is supposed to be the graceful elegant overthrown former queen of Underland, which her sister the Red Queen hates for her pure beauty and ability to command undying loyalty for her beauty. Hathaway was awkwardly unattractive in this. Even with her pale white features and beautiful dress, the constant “look at me, I am floating” gestures just seem empty and “put on”. And the makeup designers really should have opted against the contrasting lips and brows, because it makes her look rediculous.

Serously, she takes something away from this film where EVERYTHING sucks you in.

This is one of those films where it gels as a whole and the very experience leaves you energized walking out of the theater. Seriously a great movie even with its one glaring flaw (for me)

There is also a scene near the end where Alice remembers her first visit to Underland, and its almost like looking at the original Disney animated feature film scene for scene, almost hinting that this is a true sequel to that movie.

I give Alice in Wonderland a 9 out of 10

About Rodney

' src=

  • Related Articles
  • More By Rodney
  • More In Movie News Chat

Berlin ZEE5 Global (Large)

TIFF 2024: Most Anticipated Movies Coming To The Toronto International Film Festival ’24

Featured.

TIFF 2024: The 5 South Asian Movies We’re Most Excited For At The Toronto International Film Festival ‘24

Anime NYC 2024

Anime NYC 2024: Floor Walking, Chill Vibes, and Terminator Zero

The change-up trailer online, battleship trailer online, redband drive trailer online, tucker and dale versus evil redband trailer online, knights of badassdom trailer online, avengers concept art character posters… assembled.

Rebecca Ferguson The Magic Faraway Tree

Robert Downey Jr. Returns to Marvel: Doctor Doom

Anaconda Movie

New Anaconda Movie: Jack Black and Paul Rudd Join the Cast

Fede Alvarez (Large)

Fede Álvarez: Brings Aliens Back in Style with ‘Alien: Romulus’

Ryan Reynolds coudln’t fully park the snark for ...

Related Posts

The Last Ronin: Could Judith Hoag Return to TMNT?

Harold and the Purple Crayon Review: Seriously Lacking Imagination

The Running Man Remake: Glen Powell and Edgar Wright Team Up

Wishes of the Blue Girl: A Commendable Atmospheric Indie Effort

  • Betsquare.com
  • CasinoSenpai.com
  • FilmSchoolRejects
  • First Showing
  • MTV Movies Blog
  • OnlineCasinosSpelen
  • Weekly Wilson
  

Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, and Christopher Lee

Tim Burton

Linda Woolverton

Rated PG

108 Mins.

Disney

Facebook

of 2010, a brilliant blend of all things Disney and all things Tim Burton, will be unable to match the unfathomably outrageous box-office of a certain muchly overrated Oscar-nominated sci-fi "Crapatar."

It's a pity. Really. Burton's imaginative and blissfully fantastic spectacle is an unquestionably superior film, a film so rich and wondrous and emotionally resonant that it provides a cinematic satisfaction that far transcends the beauty of its seamless 3D imagery.

Out of respect for devotees of and Lewis Carroll, it is vital to know that Burton's is not, in reality, a strict interpretation of the tale itself but a fantastic and magical intertwining of and with a creative reverence that could only come from the mind of a free-thinking director such as Tim Burton. In this film, a 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska, and stumbles down the old rabbit hole for the second time in avoidance of a pending engagement with a dorky and clearly mismatched young man with the proper lineage to ensure her permanent wealth.

Despite her intelligence and beauty, Alice is perfectly presented as a typically Burtonesque hero, a young woman whose adventures lead her to a variety of shapes and sizes and personas as she weaves her way through the underland of Wonderland. She is surrounded, of course, by a kaleidoscope of calamitous characters ranging from the truly Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) to the tyrannical and infantile Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and her henchman Knave of Hearts (Crispin Glover) and, of course, the kindly and peaceful White Queen (Anne Hathaway) plus the cheerfully clueless Tweedledee and Tweedledum (voicd by Matt Lucas), the Cheshire Cat (voiced by Stephen Fry), White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), the Jabberwocky (Christopher Lee) and a host of other oddly creatures who manage to both bedazzle and warm the heart.

When it was announced that Johnny Depp would join Burton for and assume the role of The Mad Hatter, one could almost feel a planetary groan as it seemed virtually everyone questioned whether Depp had, perhaps, collaborated with Burton one too many times and, perhaps more importantly, if it simply wasn't time for Depp to drop the quirky characters in favor of a more traditional role. Once initial images of Depp's truly mad creation began to surface, it only seemed to fuel the belief that this may very well be the role that would undo the seemingly endless creativity of Depp's cinematic imagination.

The fears were unwarranted.

Depp, whose own research of The Mad Hatter character led him to believe the man suffered from mercury poisoning, is nothing short of astounding as this mad in the best of ways Mad Hatter. Whereas so many actors would have simply gone into a hyper abundance of quirk and oddity, Depp reaches deep inside the soul of The Mad Hatter and pulls out a character who is madly endearing, insanely sympathetic and simply awe-inspiring to behold. While Depp's is a performance unlikely to be critically recognized, it is a truly marvelous performance.

Yet, the wonder and magic of would not exist without the absolutely perfect actress to assume the identity of the very muchly young woman herself. Mia Wasikowska, an actress far too many of you are unfamiliar with, is spot-on perfect as a transparently soulful young Alice. It would have been simple for Burton to have cast a more marketable, waif-like actress yet few could have captured the childlike wonder, unrivaled goodness and fiery courage with such conviction. Perhaps moreso than any other incarnation of the tale, Burton captures the empowerment and celebration of this young woman that is so evident in Lewis Carroll's original written words.

Among the supporting players, Helena Bonham Carter is unquestionably the cinematic highlight with a zest and zeal and zip that will leave you laughing even as the Red Queen is screaming at the top of her lungs "Off with their head!!!!" Manifesting as a queen with a big head, both literally and figuratively, Bonham Carter's Red Queen is so joyously evil that she becomes the character you most love to hate to love. Poor Anne Hathaway, though, is left to make what she can of the kinder, gentler and infinitely less interesting White Witch for whom a vow to never harm another living creature could very well lead to her demise. In the dual vocal role of Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Matt Lucas stills nearly every scene he's in while Alan Rickman's Absalom is unforgettable and vocal work by Timothy Spall, Christopher Lee and Michael Sheen is flawless.

Robert Stromberg, who also designed "Avatar," again creates miracles here while Colleen Atwood's costuming and Danny Elfman's original score are perfect complements for Tim Burton's extraordinarily realized vision. The script from Linda Woolverton ( manages to nicely balance a reverence for Carroll's source material while infusing it with Burton's own distinct cinematic voice, and special effects master Ken Ralston creates a Wonderland that is visually hypnotic without resorting to sensory overload.

It likely goes without saying that will have its naysayers, those who find it a tad plodding or laborious or just plain boring.

Quite simply, they are wrong.

Tim Burton manages to create with a minor miracle of sorts, for it is not just Alice who spends nearly two hours in the dreamlike world of Wonderland but the audience, as well.

An afterthought.

is muchly and madly superior.

alice in wonderland movie review essay

Alice In Wonderland Review

Alice In Wonderland

26 Jul 1951

Alice In Wonderland

Lewis Carroll's episodic fantasy stories have been translated on to screen more than 20 times, but Disney's animated version arguably remains the best, perhaps because a cartoon is the ideal way to bring such quirky characters to life.

Uncle Walt had a mind to adapt Carroll as far back as 1933, envisioning silent star Mary Pickford in the role of a live-action feature, but didn't commence production until after the war. Having undergone a drafted screenplay by Brave New World author Aldous Huxley, whose script Walt rejected because he could only understand "every second word", Disney's Alice opened in 1951 to almost universally bad reviews.

Fifty years on the movie is clearly due a reappraisal. It's colourful, fun and as surreal as Disney is ever likely to get, this isn't as good as the books, but works as a cute introduction to them.

Related Articles

Rhys Ifans Joins Alice In Wonderland Sequel

Movies | 30 05 2014

Seth Gordon Seduced By Queen Of Hearts

Movies | 06 02 2014

Oscar Visual Effects Shortlist Is Up

Movies | 06 01 2011

Yet More Alice In Wonderland Goodness

Movies | 10 02 2010

New Alice In Wonderland Stills And Video

Movies | 03 02 2010

New Alice In Wonderland Stills Online

Movies | 27 01 2010

New Alice In Wonderland Stills & Clip

Movies | 20 01 2010

New Alice In Wonderland Trailer

Movies | 16 12 2009

iCritic

Search This Blog

"alice in wonderland" review.


 Alice In Wonderland
Tim Burton
Johnny Depp
Walt Disney Pictures
Fantasy
PG (For fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar)

while generally not violent there are scenes of intense imagery that is typical Tim Burton. Kids who are familiar with his other movies should be fine though. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

alice in wonderland movie review essay

Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)

By tim burton.

  • Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) Summary

The film begins with a young Alice waking in the middle of the night to tell her father that she is having a nightmare. He interrupts a business meeting about foreign trade routes to tuck her back into bed, where he tells her that she is mad, but that "all the best people are."

The film then jumps 13 years into the future. Alice is almost 20 and is arriving at a garden party with her mother; her father has died. There, Hamish , the son of a business associate of Alice's father, proposes to Alice, in front of all the guests. Alice tells everyone that she needs a moment and begins to follow a white rabbit that is wearing a waistcoat to a tree nearby. Alice falls through the rabbit's rabbit-hole and finds herself in a strange room, too big to fit through the exit door. She finds a bottle that is labeled with a tag "drink me"; she does so, and becomes very small. She then eats a cake that causes her to become large. Eventually, she manages to find the key and get to the right size to go through the tiny door. Opening the door, Alice emerges into a strange landscape, where she is greeted by the White Rabbit, the dormouse, a Dodo Bird and Tweedledum and Tweedledee. They lead her to Absolem, a wise caterpillar, as they believe she could be the Alice they are looking for to restore power to the White Queen , but Absolem doesn't believe she is the one in his prophecy.

Believing she is in a dream, Alice attempts to wake up, but to no avail. Soon after, the Bandersnatch, led by the Knave of Hearts, begins to chase them all down. Tweedledee and Tweedledum are plucked from the ground by the Jubjub bird and taken to the castle of the Red Queen , the reigning tyrant. There the Red Queen learns of the prophecy of Alice defeating her Jabberwocky.

Alice, now alone, meets the Cheshire Cat, who leads her to a tea party with the Mad Hatter , the March Hare, and the dormouse. When they hear the Knave of Hearts coming in search of Alice, the Mad Hatter shrinks Alice and stuffs her in a teapot. The Knave threatens everyone with death if they are hiding her, as his bloodhound, the enslaved Bayard sniffs out Alice. The Hatter urges Bayard to lead the Knave astray, which he does.

With Bayard's help, Alice eventually arrives at the Red Queen's castle. There, she eats a bit of cake and grows much larger. The Red Queen doesn't know who she is and welcomes her into her palace, impressed by her size. There Alice discovers that the vorpal sword, the weapon with which she is meant to slay the Jabberwocky, is locked in the den of the Bandersnatch. When the Knave of Hearts tries to seduce Alice, the Red Queen becomes enraged with jealousy and orders for Alice to be beheaded, but Alice is able to escape and retrieve the vorpal sword with the help of the Bandersnatch, whose trust she has earned. She rides the Bandersnatch to the White Queen's castle.

At the White Queen's castle, Alice learns that she has been to Wonderland before as a child. She hasn't been dreaming any of this, and she suddenly is flooded with memories of Wonderland. She realizes now that this is very real and her destiny is to kill the Jabberwocky. Absolem tells Alice that the vorpal sword knows what it wants, all she has to do is hold on to it. The armies of the Red and White Queens meet on the battlefield for a final showdown and the Jabberwocky is released. Alice must finally face the beast in order to save the kingdom from destruction by the Red Queen and return sovereignty to the benevolent White Queen. Alice does battle with the Jabberwocky and is able to cut its head off.

The White Queen banishes the Red Queen and the Knave of Hearts. When the Knave attempts to kill the Red Queen the Mad Hatter stops him. The White Queen then gives Alice a vial of the Jabberwocky's blood which she is told will grant whatever she wishes. Alice wishes to go back to her life in England.

When she returns to the garden party, Alice declines Hamish's proposal, and decides to expand her father's shipping and trade route with his business partner. She is last seen on a ship heading to China, where Absolem, now a butterfly, lands on her shoulder.

GradeSaver will pay $15 for your literature essays

Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Study Guide for Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)

Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) study guide contains a biography of Tim Burton, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

  • About Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
  • Character List
  • Director's Influence

Wikipedia Entries for Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)

  • Introduction

alice in wonderland movie review essay

an image, when javascript is unavailable

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

Alice in wonderland: film review.

Not that there was any doubt that, when it came to restaging the Lewis Carroll classic for a 21st century sensibility, Tim Burton would be the man for the job.

By THR Staff

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share to Flipboard
  • Send an Email
  • Show additional share options
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Share on Whats App
  • Print the Article
  • Post a Comment

Not that there was any doubt that, when it came to restaging the 1865 Lewis Carroll classic for a 21st century sensibility, Tim Burton would be the man for the job.

But even the filmmaker’s trademark winsomely outlandish style doesn’t prepare you for the thoroughly enjoyable spectacle that is his “ Alice in Wonderland .”

The Bottom Line  Truly, madly wonderful.

A fantastical romp that proves every bit as transporting as that movie about the blue people of Pandora, his “Alice” is more than just a gorgeous 3D sight to behold.

Armed with a smartly reshaped but still reverential script by Linda Woolverton (“Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King”), Burton has delivered a subversively witty, brilliantly cast, whimsically appointed dazzler that also manages to hit all the emotionally satisfying marks.

Related Stories

Mia-mckenna bruce, martin freeman, helena bonham carter set for netflix agatha christie show, 'merchant ivory' review: illuminating doc examines the private and professional sides of an enduring film partnership.

Disney won’t have to consume any little cakes in glass boxes in order for the resulting worldwide boxoffice to reach colossal heights.

That’s a given for this PG-rated (blame it on that smoking caterpillar) release, which also should emerge as an early, cross-category Oscar contender.

No longer a wide-eyed child, Alice Kingsleigh (a pitch-perfect Mia Wasikowska ) is now an easily distracted 19-year-old who seems hopelessly out of sync with her muted Victorian surroundings.

Dodging a garden-party marriage proposal from the dorky son of a lord and lady, Alice instead opts to take off after a pocket watch-clutching rabbit (voiced by Michael Sheen), giving those 3D glasses their first major workout as she plunges deeper and deeper into Underland.

Although she doesn’t realize it, Alice has been down this particular rabbit hole before, when she was a much younger, more spirited girl.

But before she’s able to get back in touch with her “muchness,” she’ll bond with a mercury-poisoned Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp, in another blissfully out-there tragicomic performance) and butt heads with the tyrannical Iracebeth (a never-better Helena Bonham Carter , who is an absolute scream of a Red Queen).

Whether they were required to spend quality time in front of a greenscreen or were totally CGI creations, all the usual suspects, from the rotund Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas times two) to the disembodied Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) to the fearsome Jabberwocky (the great Christopher Lee), are present and brilliantly accounted for in collaboration with special effects master Ken Ralston.

Although Carroll purists might pooh-pooh some of the script’s more radical alterations, like bringing Alice up to legal age, the shift helps hit home the film’s welcome message of female empowerment.

Ultimately, it’s the visual landscape that makes Alice’s newest adventure so wondrous, as technology has finally been able to catch up with Burton’s endlessly fertile imagination.

Also taking their cues from John Tenniel’s original illustrations, Robert Stromberg’s fanciful production design and costume designer Colleen Atwood’s ever-inspired wardrobe selection help make it quite the trippy trip.  

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Eve hewson in early talks for untitled steven spielberg event film, africa in tiff focus as producers discuss impact of amazon’s original content withdrawal, m&a, ‘we live in time’ review: florence pugh and andrew garfield deliver achingly resonant performances in a poignant romantic drama, ‘the fire inside’ director rachel morrison on upending sports movie conventions: “nobody can stay at the top forever”, ‘the last showgirl’ review: pamela anderson mines pathos as an abruptly unanchored las vegas performer in gia coppola’s wispy mood piece, andrea bocelli on new doc ‘because i believe’ and a possible taylor swift duet: “why not i’m ready”.

Quantcast

Almost forgot!

First order goes with FREE EXTRA - plagiarism report. How cool is that?

Thanks, but I don’t like free stuff

Back to all samples

Alice in Wonderland Movie Review Example

If I could write my essay about anything in the world, I would probably go for a movie review. Ideally, a screen adaptation of a beloved classic. Yet that’s me – you do you. Just look at the magic that can happen if you are really into your topic!

For Those Who Wonder if “Alice in Wonderland” is Worth Watching

Tim Burton’s“Alice in Wonderland” was probably the most anticipated movie of the year 2010. But is it any good? First of all, I should probably mention that hardcore Lewis Carroll fans may find very disappointing. The movie is merely based on the book. It features most of the same characters and a couple of the same locations, but the story is completely different. Alice is no longer a little girl, but an unconventional young woman who has the same dream of finding herself in Wonderland every night, until one day it happens in real life. Her arrival was expected. Alice is supposed to save the inhabitants from the evil Red Queen and get the reign back to her kind sister, the White Queen . She knows nothing about it, but she is meant to be the knight in shining armor, both figuratively and literally speaking.

So, as you can see, the original story was turned into a completely commonplace fairytale about struggle between good and evil. All the characters were made into the same types we can see in every other Disney movie: the villain, cruel and irritable ( the Red Queen ); the kind and creative outsider ( the Mad Hatter ); the fearless hero unaware of his/her own might ( Alice ); the sage ( the Caterpillar ), etc.

However, there are some good parts. First and foremost, the visual effects are incredible. Every creature and every landscape is beautifully designed making the movie a real eye candy.

Secondly, two of the main parts are played by Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp . Despite the fact that their characters are very plain and trite, these brilliant actors still bring great performances .

So, what would be my final verdict?...

  • Analytical Essays
  • Book Report Samples
  • Book Review Samples
  • College Application Essay
  • Essay Examples
  • Lab Report Examples
  • Miscellaneous
  • Movie Review Samples
  • Paper Samples
  • Research Paper Samples
  • Speech Samples
  • Essay Samples

Nice to meet you!

Get 15% OFF your first order

evolution boy 2

Our services

  • Essay Writer
  • Custom Assignment
  • Buy Assignment Online
  • Do My Assignments Online
  • Write My Assignment Online
  • Custom Book Report
  • Buy Book Reports
  • Book Report Helper
  • Book Review Writer
  • Custom College Papers
  • Buy College Papers Online
  • College Papers For Sale
  • Write Papers For Money
  • Coursework Writing Service
  • Buy Coursework
  • Online Coursework Help
  • Order Coursework
  • Do My Coursework
  • Custom Essay Writing Service
  • Pay For Essay
  • Homework Writing Service
  • Do My Homework For Cheap
  • Write Movie Reviews
  • Personal Statement Writing Service
  • Custom Research Paper
  • Buy Research Paper
  • Research Paper Helper
  • College Research Papers For Sale
  • Resume Professional Writers
  • Buy A Resume
  • Custom Term Paper Writing
  • Custom Thesis Writing Service

Copyright © 2009-2024 EvolutionWriters.com

Writer's Block Magazine

students' magazine for writing, art and photography

The Ten Best Alice in Wonderland Films

alice in wonderland movie review essay

This year marks the 110th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s death, and though it might sound a bit macabre, this may nevertheless be a good celebratory occasion to review the best Alice in Wonderland film adaptations.

Perhaps more fascinating than Alice in Wonderland itself is the mind from which the story sprang. Contrastive to his work, Carroll, or Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898), was said to be a rather dry and stiff man. As a mathematician and logician at Christ Church Oxford, he was orderly and meticulous, maybe what would now be characterized as bordering on OCD. But more than adhering to rules and order, he loved to break them, twist them, and turn them around completely until he arrived at the insane world that is Wonderland. Yet, saying that Wonderland is only a trippy celebration of chaos and disorder would be wrong. Alice in Wonderland very cleverly challenges the taken-for-granted logic of the adult world by using a child as a heroine who questions and doubts everything. In this, Carroll brilliantly captures a child responding to a world that has rules and logic that she, other than adults, does not yet fully understand and accept as ‘normal’.

Carroll loved the world of children and had a lot of friendships with them. But one child seemed to incite something in him that no other children had before. Alice Liddell, the daughter of the Dean of Christ Church, was the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland . Like Alice, she was pushy, imperious, and liked to boss everyone around, often shaking the fringe out of her face with a self-important expression. On the very warm and sunny afternoon of July 4th 1862, Carroll and his friend Robinson Duckworth took Alice and her sisters Lorena and Edith up the river Thames to Godstow. Over and over, Alice had pleaded Carroll to tell him a story and now, backed up by her sisters, she asked him again. And so, somewhat unwillingly, Carroll began the story that would make him one of the most-read children’s authors of all time.

Alice in Wonderland is an incredibly rich and versatile literary work so the options in making a filmic adaptation are endless. In this review, I have tried to avoid addressing the elephant in the room in the shape of classics and blockbusters such as Disney’s Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Alice’s adult revisits to Wonderland in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Into the Looking Glass (2016), with the desire to shine some light on more obscure and forgotten but nevertheless marvelous Alice adaptations. There is nothing snobbish behind this: I have enjoyed the Disney classic and both of Burton’s films tremendously but sometimes it is more interesting to move away from the Queen of Hearts and study the soldiers silently painting the roses instead.

As for the list itself, because I found that the films are, in their own terms, each so unique and different, it felt wrong to bring any hierarchical order to the list. So I decided to take the King of Hearts advice, and to “begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” As such, the films are listed in chronological order by the year of their release and are provided with a Queen-of-Hearts-ranking.

alice in wonderland movie review essay

Share this:

' src=

Published by Writer's Block

View all posts by Writer's Block

' src=

This is great! I’ll admit I’ve only watched the Disney adaptation and Tim Burton’s takes on Alice in Wonderland, but I’m so excited to watch these now! I’m bookmarking this for sure.

' src=

Great choices all. Also of note is the William Sterling one from 1972. Very trippy!

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

' src=

  • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
  • Subscribe Subscribed
  • Copy shortlink
  • Report this content
  • View post in Reader
  • Manage subscriptions
  • Collapse this bar

alice in wonderland still

Alice in Wonderland

Review by brian eggert march 5, 2010.

alice in wonderland movie poster

Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland had the same potential that his adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory had, and just like that film, this one proves to be a complete disaster. The (commercially) morbid director is again helming an adaptation of yet another classic fairy tale, inscribing his own now-cliché visual style into the already unusual imagery of the story. Here the iconography of Lewis Carroll’s literary universe—even that of the classic animated version by Walt Disney Company—is mutated for a more audience-friendly if distorted tale, seemingly twisted in every detail yet accessible enough to deserve a PG rating.

In this version, the audience feels one step ahead of its hapless heroine Alice, here played by newcomer Mia Wasikowska. The character, now in her twenties, abandons her fiancé at the altar and returns to Wonderland as she did when she was a child. Except, Alice doesn’t quite remember her experience from childhood. Why? Because she thinks it was all just a nasty dream. The wacky characters in Wonderland all remember her, however; they’ve been waiting for her to return to Wonderland, because who else could stop the despotic Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and her dreaded, dragon-like Jabberwocky (voice of Christopher Lee)? The result feels something like Steven Spielberg’s Peter Pan tale Hook —it isn’t exactly a reboot, it’s not exactly a sequel, and yet it’s a little bit of both.

Through the course of the film, Alice is befriended by a cavalcade of bizarre characters, all made slightly more freakish by Burton’s art direction. Take Alice’s cohort in this adventure, the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), who proves much saner than his name lets on after he recounts the dramatic exploits of his past. He looks as though he fell into a vat of melted crayons, preteen-girl makeup, and glitter. Or there’s Anne Hathaway as the ghostly White Queen, who looks a little too much like Burton’s former girlfriend Lisa Marie to ignore. Other characters are computerized creations voiced by notable actors: Alan Rickman is Absolem the Caterpillar; Michael Sheen is the White Rabbit; Stephen Fry is the charming Cheshire Cat. All the actors are underutilized, their talent forgone for special effects.

Even those unfamiliar with Carroll’s text will realize the movie gets it so incredibly wrong. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass were episodic pieces of literature that were more exercises in word-turned-upside-down imagery, baffling logic, and nonsensical plays on words. What they were not was action-packed adventures. You won’t find the Mad Hatter in a swashbuckling swordfight or Alice clad in armor to fight a Jabberwocky. The same cannot be said for Burton’s film, written by Linda Woolverton. Burton seems to think he’s making a fantasy epic on par with The Lord of the Rings , particularly when the third act rolls around. And like all fantasies, there’s a lesson to be learned. The lesson Alice learns is that she wants to become a take-charge businesswoman, which for some of us will feel like a step backwards (particularly those of us familiar with Brazil ).

Visually, the very cartoonish world is annoyingly and predictably Burton-esque, a look that outstayed its welcome back on The Corpse Bride , if not earlier. Ever since Burton’s name became a veritable brand at Hot Topic, with each new film his visual style seems less and less creative. Colors are muted and decrepit in tone, as if rotten and infected. Plants are contorted trees and warped. Everything looks undead, as though Wonderland was coming back to life after a nuclear holocaust. Characters are less absurd than they are just weird looking. These flourishes might have worked on Beetlejuice and Sleepy Hollow , but they feel overly implemented here.

The computer animation gives it all an ersatz edge. We never really believe the interactions between characters because most of them have been deformed by CGI. The Red Queen’s elongated, heart-shaped head; Tweedledee and Tweedledum as living versions of Mr. Potato Head;  the very appearance of the ever-creepy Crispin Glover as the Knave of Hearts.  What’s more, no one really looks as though they’re standing next to anyone else, and it’s rather distracting. And as for the 3-D projection, per usual the gimmick adds nothing to the movie. In fact, in this case, it probably does more damage than good, since having to wear goofy glasses that darken the already dark picture won’t likely enhance the experience in any way. If you see the movie, see it in 2-D and maybe you’ll appreciate the visuals. Or not.

Nothing about Burton’s version of Carroll’s world feels right, including the performances. Somewhere along the line Burton and Company thought it would be a good idea to give the Mad Hatter a past. Instead of just being a jumbled madman, apparently, he’s a noble hero who’s had a tragic history. Sound familiar? Typical Burton. Depp gives the role an unfocused energy, presenting the Hatter with alternating accents: one lispy, the other Scottish. It’s as if Burton backed the actor’s every instinctual whim and nuance without consideration of his movie. The character proves the completion of his uselessness when Depp begins dancing to a disco-pop beat in the final scenes. It’s possibly the worst performance (and role) in Depp’s career. Wasikowska isn’t much better, but she’s just playing it straight in a crowd of wackos. Bonham Carter’s Red Queen is entertaining, then again wasn’t she called “The Queen of Hearts” in the books? Frankly, the best performance comes from Stephen Fry’s voice as the Chesire Cat.

This version of Alice in Wonderland is what should have come after a more faithful Burton adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s book. The pointedly Burtonized world bears no resemblance to the source material, and we can’t imagine how it’s supposed to relate. It’s awkward on the level of Return to Oz or Superman Returns , in that the movie is sort of a sequel and yet it disregards everything that came before it. It plays like typical Burton family fare and lacks that macabre, R-rated edge that gives the director’s best work—like Ed Wood , Sleepy Hollow , and Sweeny Todd —its dynamic. Imagine Burton’s version of this tale in R-rated form, how well it might’ve worked had he been able to really let loose on the material. Instead, the outcome is loud and excessive and just plain awful, reminding us that there’s more to filmmaking than art design alone.

become_a_patron_button@2x

Related Titles

Tale of Tales poster

The Definitives

My Neighbor Totoro poster

  • In Theaters

Recent Reviews

  • Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 2 Stars ☆ ☆
  • Close Your Eyes 4 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
  • Look Into My Eyes 2.5 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
  • AfrAId 1.5 Stars ☆ ☆
  • Patreon Exclusive: Rope 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
  • Good One 4 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
  • Strange Darling 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
  • Blink Twice 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
  • Alien: Romulus 2.5 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
  • Skincare 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
  • Sing Sing 3.5 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
  • Borderlands 1.5 Stars ☆ ☆
  • Dìdi 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
  • Cuckoo 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
  • The Instigators 2 Stars ☆ ☆

Recent Articles

  • The Definitives: Goodfellas
  • The Definitives: The Spirit of the Beehive
  • Interview: Jeff Vande Zande, Author of The Dance of Rotten Sticks
  • Reader's Choice: Even Dwarfs Started Small
  • The Definitives: Nocturama
  • Guest Appearance: KARE 11 - Hidden Gems of Summer
  • The Labyrinth of Memory in Chris Marker’s La Jetée
  • Reader's Choice: Perfect Days
  • The Definitives: Kagemusha
  • The Scrappy Independents of Mumblegore

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Rotten Tomatoes Newsletter

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

  • Upcoming Movies and TV shows
  • Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
  • Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

  • About Rotten Tomatoes®
  • Login/signup

alice in wonderland movie review essay

Movies in theaters

  • Opening This Week
  • Top Box Office
  • Coming Soon to Theaters
  • Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

  • Fandango at Home
  • Prime Video
  • Most Popular Streaming Movies
  • What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

  • 77% Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Link to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
  • 95% Rebel Ridge Link to Rebel Ridge
  • 100% His Three Daughters Link to His Three Daughters

New TV Tonight

  • 100% Slow Horses: Season 4
  • 97% English Teacher: Season 1
  • 93% Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Season 1
  • 100% Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos: Season 1
  • 54% The Perfect Couple: Season 1
  • -- Tell Me Lies: Season 2
  • -- Outlast: Season 2
  • -- The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Season 1
  • -- Selling Sunset: Season 8
  • -- Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Season 14

Most Popular TV on RT

  • 76% Kaos: Season 1
  • 83% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
  • 89% Terminator Zero: Season 1
  • 100% Dark Winds: Season 2
  • 93% Bad Monkey: Season 1
  • Best TV Shows
  • Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

  • 100% Slow Horses: Season 4 Link to Slow Horses: Season 4
  • All-Time Lists
  • Binge Guide
  • Comics on TV
  • Five Favorite Films
  • Video Interviews
  • Weekend Box Office
  • Weekly Ketchup
  • What to Watch

Best TV Shows of 2024: Best New Series to Watch Now

All Tim Burton Movies Ranked

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Cast on Reuniting with Tim Burton

New Movies and TV Shows Streaming in September 2024: What to Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max and more

  • Trending on RT
  • Beetlejuice Beetlejuice First Reviews
  • Top 10 Box Office
  • Toronto Film Festival
  • Popular Series on Netflix

Alice in Wonderland Reviews

alice in wonderland movie review essay

A shallow, stunted spectacle that does surprisingly little with its rich source. Instead, it is Tim Burton’s successful stab at inoffensive, unchallenging children’s entertainment.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 7, 2024

alice in wonderland movie review essay

The outcome is loud and excessive and just plain awful, reminding us that there’s more to filmmaking than art design alone.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Aug 22, 2023

alice in wonderland movie review essay

It’s a whole lot of noise thrown together with loose hands into not much of anything.

Full Review | May 27, 2023

For almost two hours we become prisoners in a land of menacing delight. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Aug 8, 2022

alice in wonderland movie review essay

The movie badgers rather than charms, but it's rescued by Helena Bonham Carter's brisk performance as the Red Queen.

Full Review | Jul 26, 2021

Disney's is kind of a tepid liberal feminism, but that's far more badass and entertaining than no feminism at all.

Full Review | Dec 23, 2020

alice in wonderland movie review essay

The character designs are all underwhelming (except for the Red Queen), the sets are grand but hardly original, and the costumes are fashionably interesting but random.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Nov 29, 2020

alice in wonderland movie review essay

Depp is nothing short of astounding as this mad in the best of ways Mad Hatter.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4.0 | Sep 1, 2020

Director Tim Burton's effort here is a mild disappointment.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 6, 2020

alice in wonderland movie review essay

Take your own trip down the rabbit hole and don't be late because you've got a very important date with Disney's ALICE IN WONDERLAND.

Full Review | Nov 6, 2019

But Depp's performance is richer and more coherent than the film itself-a rather laborious narrative that careens through a string of set pieces without transporting us.

Full Review | Jul 23, 2019

alice in wonderland movie review essay

This joyless adaptation of a beloved story comes up short in almost every way.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jun 7, 2019

alice in wonderland movie review essay

Despite some intriguing visual aspects, "Alice" proves to be quite dull, unable to overcome an internal battle with the film's overall tone.

Full Review | Original Score: C | May 10, 2019

alice in wonderland movie review essay

It's seriously beautiful at intervals that command attention. There's a war theme in it that's pursued with surprising gravity.

Full Review | Oct 26, 2018

alice in wonderland movie review essay

If Burton and other filmmakers want to empower girls, perhaps, just once, they might show them how characteristics other than physical strength and agility are valuable.

Full Review | Oct 4, 2018

alice in wonderland movie review essay

It's horribly generic. This is a Disney film and it feels like a Disney film, whereas I'd hoped it would feel like a Tim Burton film.

Full Review | Aug 30, 2018

Alice in Wonderland is one of those tragic movies whose frame story is actually more interesting than the story itself.

Full Review | May 23, 2018

No amount of production design can make up for directorial laziness. This Alice in Wonderland would be better if it were shot in black-and-white on VHS tape with actors in furry mascot costumes.

Full Review | Apr 30, 2018

alice in wonderland movie review essay

The magic of this version of Alice in Wonderland is undoubtedly, in the Burton touch... [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 15, 2018

Though visually stunning, Alice In Wonderland is more funny than anything else (thanks mostly to Depp's Mad Hatter).

Full Review | Original Score: B | Sep 11, 2017

Interesting Literature

A Summary and Analysis of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

There is a famous anecdote about Lewis Carroll and Queen Victoria: Victoria enjoyed Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) so much that she requested a first edition of Carroll’s next book. Carroll duly sent her a copy of the next book he published – a mathematical work with the exciting title An Elementary Treatise on Determinants .

Unfortunately, like most good anecdotes, this one isn’t true, but such a story does highlight the oddness of Carroll’s double life. Carroll, despite the radical nature of his nonsense fiction, was a conservative mathematician and don at the University of Oxford, real name Charles Dodgson.

But what does this novel, one of the most popular Victorian books for children, mean? Before we analyse Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , it might be worth recapping the novel’s plot.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland : summary

The novel begins with a young girl named Alice, who is bored with a book she is reading outside, following a smartly-dressed rabbit down a rabbit hole. She falls a long way until she finds herself in a room full of locked doors. However, she finds a key, but it’s for a door that’s too small for her.

However, there is a bottle labelled ‘DRINK ME’ on a table, so she drinks down its contents and promptly shrinks. But now she’s too small to reach the key on the table! She eats a cake labelled ‘EAT ME’, and she now grows to be too big – much bigger than her usual size. She begins to cry.

After shrinking back to her usual size, Alice starts to swim on the tide of her own tears, meeting a range of other animals including a mouse and a dodo. The latter declares there should be a Caucus-Race: everyone runs around in a circle but nobody wins. When Alice starts to talk about her cat back home, she inadvertently frightens all of the animals away.

The White Rabbit orders Alice to go into the house and find the gloves belonging to a duchess. Alice finds another potion in the house, which makes her grow large again when she drinks it. When animals hurl stones at her, these turn into cakes and she eats them, returning to her normal size.

Alice meets a blue caterpillar sitting on a mushroom and smoking a hookah pipe. The caterpillar tells Alice that one side of the mushroom will make her taller, while the other side will make her shorter. She breaks off two pieces from the mushroom and eats them. Sure enough, one side shrinks her again, while the other side makes me grow into a giant.

Alice sees a fish, working as a footman, delivering an invitation for the Duchess who lives at the house; he hands the letter to a frog who is working as the Duchess’ footman. Alice goes inside the house again. The Cheshire Cat appears in a tree, directing her to the March Hare’s house. He disappears but his grin remains when the rest of him has gone.

Alice attends the Mad Hatter’s tea party, along with the Marsh Hare and Dormouse. They throw lots of riddles at her until she becomes fed up with them and leaves. She finds herself in a garden in which playing cards are busy painting flowers.

Alice meets the King and Queen, the latter of whom orders her to play a game of croquet in which live flamingos are used instead of croquet mallets (and hedgehogs are deployed as balls!).

The Duchess, who owns the Cheshire Cat, turns up just as the Queen is trying to have the Cheshire Cat beheaded. A Gryphon takes Alice to meet the Mock Turtle, who tells Alice he used to be a real turtle and is now sad because he was mocked when young. The Mock Turtle and the Gryphon then dance to the Lobster Quadrille.

The Queen of Hearts demands Alice’s head be removed: ‘Off with her head!’ But when Alice stands up to her, the Queen falls silent. Alice attends a trial at which the Knave of Hearts is accused of stealing the Queen’s tarts. Alice realises she is starting to grow bigger.

She is summoned as a witness at the trial, but she has grown so big now that she accidentally knocks over the jury box containing the animals on the jury.

The Queen accuses Alice of stealing the tarts and once more demands her head. Alice stands up to them, and as the playing cards advance on her, she is wakened from her dream, and finds her sister shaking her: the playing cards have become leaves that have fallen on her. She is back in the real world.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland : analysis

‘Lewis Carroll’ was really a man named Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a mathematician at Christ Church, Oxford. As such, he led something of a double life: to the readers of his Alice books he was Lewis Carroll, while to the world of mathematics and to his colleagues at the University of Oxford he was (Reverend) Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a man who formed his pen name by reversing his first two names (‘Charles Lutwidge’ became ‘Lewis Carroll’).

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland began life on 4 July 1862, when Charles Dodgson accompanied the Liddell children – one of whom was named Alice – on a boat journey, and told them the story that formed the basis of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , which appeared three years later.

Although its working title was Alice’s Adventures Underground , it was published with the more enchanting title which captures the magic, illogic, and nonsense which characterise the world ‘down the rabbit-hole’ in which Alice finds herself.

Carroll’s was by no means the first portal fantasy novel of this kind: two years earlier, in 1863, Charles Kingsley’s The Water-Babies had appeared. The book tells the story of the boy chimney-sweep, Tom, who goes beneath the water and becomes a ‘water-baby’.

In many ways the tale of a child slipping underwater into an alternate world of fantasy, where the Victorian world is curiously inverted, foreshadows Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , although Carroll came up with his story independently, before Kingsley’s novel was published. (Curiously, the phrases ‘mad as a March-hare’ and ‘grinning like a Cheshire cat’, by the by, both appear in The Water-Babies .)

But for all of their passing similarities, the chief difference between Carroll’s novel and Kingsley’s – and, indeed, between Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and 99% of the children’s fiction produced at the time – is that Carroll refused to use his story to offer his young readers a moral.

You can see the moral message of a Victorian children’s story coming a mile off, but Carroll not only avoids such heavy-handed moralising, but actively criticises the very idea:

She had quite forgotten the Duchess by this time, and was a little startled when she heard her voice close to her ear. ‘You’re thinking about something, my dear, and that makes you forget to talk. I can’t tell you just now what the moral of that is, but I shall remember it in a bit.’

‘Perhaps it hasn’t one,’ Alice ventured to remark.

‘Tut, tut, child!’ said the Duchess. ‘Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it.’ And she squeezed herself up closer to Alice’s side as she spoke.

This exchange, from ‘The Mock Turtle’s Story’ (Chapter 9), pit the mainstream Victorian attitude held by adults against the rebellious innocence of the child, with the censorious morality of the adult (‘Tut, tut, child!’) immediately closing down the child’s instinct to speculate, question, and retain an open mind (‘Perhaps it hasn’t one’).

So much for the moral meaning of Carroll’s novel. But does that mean that the glorious nonsense of the book, the subversion and inversion of the reality of the world, the fantastical creatures and episodes, are just that: ‘nonsense’, not meant to mean anything beyond themselves?

Critics have been tempted to analyse the novel through a Freudian or psychoanalytic lens: the novel is about a child’s awareness of itself in the world, discovering its own body and its place in that world.

In finding herself in a completely mad world – full of tyrannical queens and mad hatters – Alice must learn to assert herself (something she does decisively at the end, when confronting the Queen of Hearts) and also, quite literally, keep her head about her while all about her are losing theirs (and often blaming it on her).

Or, even if we drop the Freudian label, we might view the novel as an exploration of a child’s journey through the world, making sense of everything and realising that sometimes grown-ups – those authority figures the child is told to obey because they are older and wiser than she is – are the stupidest people in the room.

For all that, should we analyse Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as a scathing satire on radical new ideas in nineteenth-century mathematics, ideas for which Carroll/Dodgson had little time? Melanie Bayley thinks so, and published an article in the New Scientist in 2009 in which she set out her thesis. You can read Bayley’s article here .

If you enjoyed this analysis of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , you might also like our summary and analysis of the book’s sequel, Through the Looking-Glass .

Discover more from Interesting Literature

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Type your email…

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

  • Poem: “All in the golden afternoon”
  • Chapter 1: Down the Rabbit-Hole
  • Chapter 2: The Pool of Tears
  • Chapter 3: A Caucus-Race and a long Tale
  • Chapter 4: The Rabbit sends in a little Bill
  • Chapter 5: Advice from a Caterpillar
  • Chapter 6: Pig and Pepper
  • Chapter 7: A Mad Tea-Party
  • Chapter 8: The Queen’s Croquet-Ground
  • Chapter 9: The Mock Turtle’s Story
  • Chapter 10: The Lobster Quadrille
  • Chapter 11: Who stole the Tarts?
  • Chapter 12: Alice’s Evidence
  • An Easter Greeting to every child who loves Alice
  • Christmas Greetings
  • Dramatis Personae and chessboard
  • Poem: “Child of the pure unclouded brow”
  • Chapter 1: Looking-Glass House
  • Chapter 2: The Garden of Live Flowers
  • Chapter 3: Looking-Glass Insects
  • Chapter 4: Tweedledum and Tweedledee
  • Chapter 5: Wool and Water
  • Chapter 6: Humpty Dumpty
  • Chapter 7: The Lion and the Unicorn
  • Chapter 8: “It’s my own Invention”
  • Chapter 9: Queen Alice
  • Chapter 10: Shaking
  • Chapter 11: Waking
  • Chapter 12: Which dreamed it?
  • Poem: “A boat beneath a sunny sky”
  • To All Child-Readers of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
  • Preface to Alice’s Adventures Under Ground
  • Alice’s Adventures Under Ground – Chapter 1
  • Alice’s Adventures Under Ground – Chapter 2
  • Alice’s Adventures Under Ground – Chapter 3
  • Alice’s Adventures Under Ground – Chapter 4
  • The Nursery ‘Alice’ – Preface
  • Chapter 1: The White Rabbit
  • Chapter 2: How Alice grew tall
  • Chapter 3: The Pool of Tears
  • Chapter 4: The Caucus-Race
  • Chapter 5: Bill, the Lizard
  • Chapter 6: the dear little Puppy
  • Chapter 7: The Blue Caterpillar
  • Chapter 8: The Pig-Baby
  • Chapter 9: The Cheshire-Cat
  • Chapter 10: The Mad Tea-Party
  • Chapter 11: The Queen’s Garden
  • Chapter 12: The Lobster-Quadrille
  • Chapter 13: Who stole the tarts?
  • Chapter 14: The Shower of Cards
  • The lost chapter: a Wasp in a Wig
  • Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland summary
  • Through the Looking-Glass summary
  • Disney movie script
  • Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
  • Through the Looking-Glass
  • Alice’s Adventures Under Ground
  • Nursery Alice
  • Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
  • Lewis Carroll, Alice Liddell and John Tenniel
  • Caterpillar
  • Cheshire Cat
  • Queen of Hearts
  • Tweedledum and Tweedledee
  • Tulgey Wood inhabitants
  • Walrus and Carpenter
  • White Rabbit
  • About the book “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
  • About the book “Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice found there”
  • About John Tenniel’s illustrations
  • About Lewis Carroll
  • About Alice Liddell
  • About Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” 1951 cartoon movie
  • Alice in Wonderland trivia
  • Alice on the Stage
  • Story origins
  • Picture origins
  • Jabberwocky

Themes and motifs

  • Conflict and resolution, protagonists and antagonists
  • Science-Fiction and Fantasy Books by Lewis Carroll
  • An Analysis of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
  • To stop a Bandersnatch
  • “Lewis Carroll”: A Myth in the Making
  • The Man Who Loved Little Girls
  • The Liddell Riddle
  • The Duck and the Dodo: References in the Alice books to friends and family
  • The influence of Lewis Carroll’s life on his work
  • Tenniel’s illustrations for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
  • The Jabberwocky
  • Drug influences in the books
  • The truth about “Alice”
  • Lewis Carroll and the Search for Non-Being
  • Alice’s adventures in algebra: Wonderland solved
  • Diluted and ineffectual violence in the ‘Alice’ books
  • How little girls are like serpents, or, food and power in Lewis Carroll’s Alice books
  • A short list of other possible explanations
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

T he most obvious theme that can be found in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is the theme of growing up.

Lewis Carroll adored the unprejudiced and innocent way young children approach the world. With Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, he wanted to describe how a child sees our adult world, including all of the (in the eyes of a child silly and arbitrary) rules and social etiquette we created for ourselves, as well as the ego’s and bad habits we have developed during our lives.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland represents the child’s struggle to survive in the confusing world of adults. To understand our adult world, Alice has to overcome the open-mindedness that is characteristic for children.

Apparently, adults need rules to live by. But most people adhere to those rules blindly now, without asking themselves ‘why’. This leads to the incomprehensible, and sometimes arbitrary behavior that Alice experiences in Wonderland.

When entering Wonderland, Alice encounters a way of living and reasoning that is quite different from her own. A Duchess who is determined to find a moral in everything. Trials that seem to be very unjust. But during the journey through Wonderland, Alice learns to understand the adult world somewhat more. In fact, she is growing up. This is also represented by her physical changes during the story, the growing and shrinking.

More and more she starts to understand the creatures that live in Wonderland. From the Cheshire Cat she learns that ‘everyone is mad here’. She learns to cope with the crazy Wonderland rules, and during the story she gets better in managing the situation. She tells the Queen of Hearts that her order is ‘nonsense’ and prevents her own beheading. In the end Alice has adapted and lost most of her vivid imagination that comes with childhood. She realizes what the creatures in Wonderland really are ‘nothing but a pack of cards’. At this point, she has matured too much to stay in Wonderland, the world of the children, and wakes up into the ‘real’ world, the world of adults.

Related to the theme of ‘growing up’, is the motif of ‘identity’.

In Wonderland, Alice struggles with the importance and instability of personal identity. She is constantly ordered to identify herself by the creatures she meets, but she herself has doubts about her identity as well.

After falling through the Rabbit hole, Alice tests her knowledge to determine whether she has become another girl. Later on, the White Rabbit mistakes her for his maid Mary Ann. When the Caterpillar asks her who she is, she is unable to answer, as she feels that she has changed several times since that morning.

Among other things, this doubt about her identity is nourished by her physical appearance. Alice grows and shrinks several times, which she finds “very confusing”. The Pigeon mistakes her for a serpent, not only because she admits eating eggs, but also because of her long neck. The Cheshire Cat questions another aspect of Alice’s identity. He is not questioning her name or species, he is questioning her sanity. As she has entered Wonderland, she must be mad, he states.

However, it is not only Alice’s identity that is unstable. Some creatures in Wonderland have unstable identities as well. For example, the Duchess’ baby turns into a pig and the members of the jury have to write down their names, or they will forget them.

Alice’s motif for entering and intersecting Wonderland is simply curiosity: she sees a White Rabbit and decides to follow him because he has a watch and is wearing a waistcoat.

Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice found there

Being grown up.

When Carroll wrote Through the Looking-Glass, the real Alice had already become a grown woman. In the introductory poem, he recalls the glorious days of her childhood, and we notice his sadness because his favorite child-friend has grown up, got married, and does not contact him anymore.

In the first book, Alice was very bewildered by the crazy adult world. In Through the Looking-Glass, however, we see that Alice has grown up, as well as the real Alice has, and that she is more confident with herself when associating with the Wonderland characters. While she was being lectured and ordered about in the first story, she now teaches some of the Wonderland characters a lesson and even mothers them, like she does with the clumsy White Knight.

Learning to achieve a higher social position

However, there are still things to learn. Alice’s wish (and motive) in Through the Looking-Glass is becoming a queen. To achieve this, she has to adhere to the rules of a chess game. She has to reach the final square, and can interact only with creatures that are on a square directly next to hers.

She also has to learn more about the way things are. For example, the flowers tell her that they are lower in social rank than she is (“it isn’t manners for us to begin, you know”), she learns about the tragic lives of the lower class (Bread-and-Butterflies always die because of a food shortage), and Tweedledee and Tweedledum teach her some more social skills.

In fact, Alice is trying to reach a higher social position, and she has to master certain rules of behavior that come with this social order.

In the sequel, the concept of identity is touched upon again. Although Alice is more sure of herself, her identity is again questioned. When she enters the wood, she promptly forgets her own name. The fawn does not even recognize her as a human being.

But this time the question of identity is lifted to an even higher level: Tweedledee and Tweedledum show Alice the sleeping Red King and tell her that she is not a real person; she only exists in his dream. At first Alice does not want to believe that she ceases to exist when the King wakes up. But at the end of the book, the matter is still not resolved:

“Now, Kitty, let’s consider who it was that dreamed it all. […] You see, Kitty, it must have been either me or the Red King. He was part of my dream, of course — but then I was part of his dream, too! Was it the Red King, Kitty? […] Oh, Kitty, do help to settle it! I’m sure your paw can wait!’ But the provoking kitten only began on the other paw, and pretended it hadn’t heard the question. Which do you think it was?”
  • © Alice-in-Wonderland.net
  • Terms, conditions, cookies and privacy
  • Customer Service

essay company

  •  Order Now

Alice In Wonderland Movie Review Film Studies Essay

Published Date: 23 Mar 2015

Disclaimer: This essay has been written and submitted by students and is not an example of our work. Please click this link to view samples of our professional work witten by our professional essay writers . Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssayCompany.

The film I choose to write a critical review of is Alice in Wonderland (2010). The genres of the film have aspects that are adventure, action, adventure, comedy, fantasy, animation, kids, science fiction and family. The original novel written in 1865 by the English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson with the pseudonym Lewis Carroll consisted of a progression of haphazard dealings and character connections. It was enjoyable to see the characters in the movie were able to work together to achieve an exceptional outcome. Alice in the original novel wanders around a dreamland that deals with her own apprehensions and her vague expectation that events will not be all pleasant and trouble-free. All of these captivating characters, landscapes and experiences spread out in a dream language. Given this is the essence of the original this, it should be an easy undertaking to produce a movie that really leaves a lasting impression .The overall result of the film is not impressive beyond what would be expected from this style of work but and it is a fun atmosphere. Where the film succeeds, it does succeed very well, all to the consistency of Tim Burton's imaginative and creative visuals.

"Each genre has a thematic and stylistic territory, and sometimes the style of one genre spills into the thematic territory of another. This sort of innovation is not the kind that is normally recognized as the work of a genius, but is considered merely "clever". Yet it is the kind of innovation and playing with boundaries that keeps audiences coming to genre movies." (University, Unit 1: The Usefulness of Genre)

Alice in Wonderland (2010) is not a retelling, reworking or a remaking of the original children's classic novels by Lewis Carroll but is a version that is a sequel to the original. It is not even the 1951 Disney adaptation. If the viewer is expecting a pure and complete adaptation, then there may be some disappoint. Instead, Tim Burton re-imagines the esteemed and treasured story in the genuine good judgment of recreation. This is by giving Alice an added and established background, in addition to a romantic subplot involving Alice and the Mad Hatter. There is also much more focus on the conflict concerning good and evil. It is the classic tale of good against evil and the stunning and dramatic final battle of good versus evil that ensues. Alice is to slay a monster that has been predicted by the scroll. Tim Burton's, Alice in Wonderland more than does the classic tale justice.

Danny Elfman composes the wonderful music is very nice but ultimately completely unforgettable and always be top notch. Then there are the marvellous visual effects, excellent acting and amazing animation and design. This is a movie that will indulge your senses. The Mad Hatter has an intensity and capacity of character that was downplayed by the movie trailers. In the trailers, only the upbeat Mad Hatter was seen. He has a darker side to his character as well as madness of the darkest sort is by no means far off from the surface. The Mad Hatter is by far one of the greatest characters in the film. Alice's expedition that allowed growth from a timid, to some extent unconventional, girl into an audacious and heroic young woman is magnificent and convincing. Alice brought back together with her friends from childhood: the Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, the Dormouse, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Mad Hatter, and of course the White Rabbit. Alice enters into an extraordinary journey to discover her true destiny and conclude the Red Queen's supremacy over the land. Tim Burton did not strive for bright and beautiful magic, but for dreary and wasteful once a wonderland

The movie is not the dark world that Tim Burton usually gives his audience but a softer more child friendly world. The story picks up when Alice is 19-years old and subsequent to the passing of her father. She is proposed to be married away and feeling pressured, she runs off, following the white rabbit, which leads her to into Wonderland. She only vaguely remembers this magical place from childhood. The story is admittedly a very simple one but one that can be easily followed. It is to the story's credit that Alice is now an adult, as it is able to facilitate many more happenings in Wonderland. A place where things can be sometimes be quite grotesque, unfriendly and bizarre. It is an out of the ordinary adventure and tale about a young woman's voyage to an alternate reality. That is testing the strength of her will power, resourcefulness and courage in the visage of danger and weirdness. Wonderland is an extension of Alice's frustrations with the real world where she felt that she had many expectations from outside forces.

Alice in Wonderland succeeds on numerous levels that I am uncertain who would fail to not be charmed by it. The film even has glance and hints at Alice's early life. It is also to my surprise touching specifically the relationship between Alice and her father. The film measures up to other films in its genre in that it is a family movie that has a charming and interesting story. It is full of interesting characters and a journey through Wonderland to observe all sorts of attention-grabbing landscapes. There is a positive impact on this film on other films since to bring a classic back in a new way leads the pack. It is intended for adults and children to watch together. The film is a wondrous piece of escapism.

The social context of the film like many of Tim Burton's movies amuses at specifically the kind of individual who does not get this movie. Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is a magnificent metaphor for the correlation between Tim Burton and his audience. These are individuals who have lost touch with the wonderment of their own childhoods. These same individuals who are mostly connected to the idea of what is proper and fashionable. The uninteresting people with little imagination and even less open-mindedness for it in others. The premise of the movie is to facilitate the idea that only small amounts of people in the world and only the best people still have that kind of limitless imagination. They are the ones that can find enjoyment in the truly original, even as the rest of civil society considers them as being eccentric, outlandish, or simply awkward. These people are represented in the film both in the real world at the party and another time in the Red Queen's court.

"Movies have no scruples. They are always borrowing from literature or adapting novels wholesale into feature films. And, as everyone who has ever read a novel that has been turned into a movie know, the book is always better-simply because books pay attention to detail; they describe rather than depict characters (so readers can form their own impressions); and they paint a broader canvas of life-changing events. Movies always leave things out. They change the original story, of which the readers are extremely protective." (University, Unit 2: Genre History and Literary Precedents)

For all the individuals that were not able to enjoy the movie as a form of entertain then they have lost the child in them. Individuals will complain about it not being accurate to the original book but in time, they will accept it. A generation from now this original film will be analyzed as one of the greatest creative fantasies of our present times. The idea that this is how people may feel in the modern day, which is pressured into something, they really do not want to do. This certainly proceeds impeccably with the extra background story. Many people may be able to relate to this idea. It is an important film in its genre because it will be a classic of our time of ingenuity. A classic tale reinvented to fit our modern ways of thinking and life.

The film strengths concerning its generic element are that this is easily Burton's finest work, and while he takes some liberties with Lewis Carroll's classic, there are still ample amounts of the traditional Alice character traits to satisfy everyone. The film has rejuvenated the antique theme about Alice reclaiming her "muchness" and defying societal expectations. Wonderland is bestowed with amusement that is constant. A film adaptation should, of course, treat its source material as inspiration rather than dogma and this is clearly, what Tim Burton intended and has achieved. The films weaknesses concerning its generic elements are that it is such a well know tale that has been told repeatedly. It is hard to truly find a story that is not based upon another story these days. It does not help that fate is the key component to in the story. This added to the predictability of events given they are foretold to us early on. This causing the computer generated imagery or CGI technology to heavy climactic battle to underwhelm when it does inevitably arrive. Wonderland is just how woefully conventional it all is.

I found it very easy to care for the characters in this film. The conclusion came across as deeply extraordinary, as good was able to triumph. Society loves when good wins over evil because it gives everyone a good feeling. The audience has been given so much to empathize with. The character development is interesting to be to get to know these characters a little bit better. When Alice comes back around her extended family, she is then one by one imparting her newly learned knowledge onto them. This is a true sense that she had grown and become wiser. The journey to Wonderland has made absolutely very much difference to the Alice's state of mind. At the commencement, she does not want to be married to the aristocratic and has a choice to make. By the end, she still does not want to be married to the aristocratic but she has been able to prevail in self-discovery in the span of time that she left. She has grown and learned about her strengths. She now knows what she truly wants to be able to make the necessary decisions that will affect her in a positive way. An easily enjoyable movie with much character depth.

rev

Our Service Portfolio

  • Essay Writing Service
  • Dissertation Writing Service
  • Assignment Writing Service
  • Coursework Writting Service
  • Article Writting Service

jb

Want To Place An Order Quickly?

Then shoot us a message on Whatsapp, WeChat or Gmail. We are available 24/7 to assist you.

whatsapp

Do not panic, you are at the right place

jb

Visit Our essay writting help page to get all the details and guidence on availing our assiatance service.

Get 20% Discount, Now £19 £14 / Per Page 14 days delivery time

Our writting assistance service is undoubtedly one of the most affordable writting assistance services and we have highly qualified professionls to help you with your work. So what are you waiting for, click below to order now.

Get An Instant Quote

alice in wonderland movie review essay

I DON'T WANT DISCOUNT

Our experts are ready to assist you, call us to get a free quote or order now to get succeed in your academics writing.

IMAGES

  1. 15. Alice in Wonderland

    alice in wonderland movie review essay

  2. Alice in Wonderland Review

    alice in wonderland movie review essay

  3. Alice In Wonderland Essay Free Essay Example

    alice in wonderland movie review essay

  4. Alice in Wonderland Essay

    alice in wonderland movie review essay

  5. Alice in Wonderland Free Essay Example

    alice in wonderland movie review essay

  6. Summary of Alice in Wonderland

    alice in wonderland movie review essay

VIDEO

  1. Alice in Wonderland

  2. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

  3. Alice in Wonderland Commentary Part Five

  4. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

  5. The Harsh World of Adulthood: Disney's 'Alice in Wonderland'

  6. The REAL story of Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland

COMMENTS

  1. Enchanting and mordant, but does it need an action climax?

    Alice in Wonderland movie review (2010)

  2. Alice In Wonderland Movie Review Film Studies Essay

    Alice In Wonderland Movie Review Film Studies Essay. The film I choose to write a critical review of is Alice in Wonderland (2010). The genres of the film have aspects that are adventure, action, adventure, comedy, fantasy, animation, kids, science fiction and family. The original novel written in 1865 by the English author Charles Lutwidge ...

  3. Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland (2010)

    A fan of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, the reviewer praises the film's dark and bizarre style, but criticizes some aspects of the story and the characters. The review is not an essay, but a personal opinion with some poo-review ratings and a four-syllable word.

  4. Alice in Wonderland (2010) Review: Ode to Child-like Imagination

    The first time I watched the film, the question stayed with me so much that I kept asking all the adults in my life, searching for an answer that would satisfy me. At the time, I was barely a teenager and certainly younger than the protagonist of the movie, and yet Tim Burton's film spoke to me in many ways. As the years passed, I found ...

  5. Review: Alice in Wonderland

    Thanks for checking out our Alice in Wonderland review. Genre: Fantasy Directed by: Tim Burton Staring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman Released: March 5, 2010 THE GENERAL IDEA. 19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old ...

  6. "Alice in Wonderland" Review

    108 Mins. There's little doubt that the Alice in Wonderland of 2010, a brilliant blend of all things Disney and all things Tim Burton, will be unable to match the unfathomably outrageous box-office of a certain muchly overrated Oscar-nominated sci-fi "Crapatar." It's a pity. Really. Burton's imaginative and blissfully fantastic spectacle is an ...

  7. Alice In Wonderland Review

    Release Date: 25 Jul 1951. Running Time: 72 minutes. Certificate: U. Original Title: Alice In Wonderland. Lewis Carroll's episodic fantasy stories have been translated on to screen more than 20 ...

  8. Alice in Wonderland Review

    Nothing in this movie feels real, either physically or emotionally. Even in fantasy films there needs to be a sense of reality, even if that reality is of the trippy, mind-bending kind. But Alice ...

  9. "Alice in Wonderland" Review

    Starring: Johnny Depp. Studio: Walt Disney Pictures. Genre (s): Fantasy. Rated: PG (For fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar) Why it took Tim Burton this long to make a movie adaptation of "Alice In Wonderland" I'll never know. Considering Burton's previous accomplishments of ...

  10. Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) Part 1 Summary and Analysis

    Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) Summary and Analysis of Part 1. Summary. In a large house in the English countryside, a small girl, Alice, spies on her father, Charles Kingsleigh, talking to a group of men about shipping routes. The men are dubious about Charles' grand claims, but he is confident that big progress can only be made through big ...

  11. Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) Essay Questions

    Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) Essay Questions. 1. How does Alice get the vorpal sword? The vorpal sword is hidden away in the Bandersnatch's den. The Bandersnatch is a large and terrifying creature used by the Red Queen and the Knave of Hearts to destroy their enemies, and he has already hurt Alice before. Using her wit, Alice befriends the ...

  12. Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) Summary

    by Tim Burton. Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) Summary. The film begins with a young Alice waking in the middle of the night to tell her father that she is having a nightmare. He interrupts a business meeting about foreign trade routes to tuck her back into bed, where he tells her that she is mad, but that "all the best people are."

  13. Alice in Wonderland: Film Review

    A fantastical romp that proves every bit as transporting as that movie about the blue people of Pandora, his "Alice" is more than just a gorgeous 3D sight to behold. Armed with a smartly ...

  14. Alice in Wonderland Movie Review Example

    A sample essay that evaluates Tim Burton's adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic book. The reviewer praises the visual effects and the actors, but criticizes the story for being too commonplace and unfaithful to the original.

  15. The Ten Best Alice in Wonderland Films

    This year marks the 110th anniversary of Lewis Carroll's death, and though it might sound a bit macabre, this may nevertheless be a good celebratory occasion to review the best Alice in Wonderland film adaptations.. Perhaps more fascinating than Alice in Wonderland itself is the mind from which the story sprang. Contrastive to his work, Carroll, or Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898), was ...

  16. Alice In The Wonderland Movie Analysis

    This is the movie review of "Alice In The Wonderland". I'm going to write about social discrimination, good vs evil and revenge in the movie. Social discrimination is defined as sustained inequality between individuals on the basis of illness, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or any other measures of diversity.

  17. Alice in Wonderland

    Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland had the same potential that his adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory had, and just like that film, this one proves to be a complete disaster.The (commercially) morbid director is again helming an adaptation of yet another classic fairy tale, inscribing his own now-cliché visual style into the already unusual imagery of the story.

  18. Essay Bi Movie Review

    Essay Bi Movie Review - Free download as Word Doc (.doc), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. This document provides a summary of the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland directed by Tim Burton. It discusses the plot where Alice falls down a rabbit hole into Wonderland and must face challenges. It highlights Johnny Depp's role as the Mad Hatter and describes the film's visuals ...

  19. Alice In Wonderland Movie Review Film Studies Essay

    The film I choose to write a critical review of is Alice in Wonderland (2010). The genres of the film have aspects that are adventure, action, adventure, comedy, fantasy, animation, kids, science fict

  20. Alice in Wonderland

    The outcome is loud and excessive and just plain awful, reminding us that there's more to filmmaking than art design alone. Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Aug 22, 2023. Cory Woodroof For ...

  21. A Summary and Analysis of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in

    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: summary. The novel begins with a young girl named Alice, who is bored with a book she is reading outside, following a smartly-dressed rabbit down a rabbit hole. She falls a long way until she finds herself in a room full of locked doors. However, she finds a key, but it's for a door that's too small for her.

  22. Themes and motifs

    Related to the theme of 'growing up', is the motif of 'identity'. In Wonderland, Alice struggles with the importance and instability of personal identity. She is constantly ordered to identify herself by the creatures she meets, but she herself has doubts about her identity as well. After falling through the Rabbit hole, Alice tests her ...

  23. Alice In Wonderland Movie Review Film Studies Essay

    It is the classic tale of good against evil and the stunning and dramatic final battle of good versus evil that ensues. Alice is to slay a monster that has been predicted by the scroll. Tim Burton's, Alice in Wonderland more than does the classic tale justice. Danny Elfman composes the wonderful music is very nice but ultimately completely ...