It’s been awhile since Johnny Depp made a movie I actually cared about. Since Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl, actually. Dead Man’s Chest was okay, and At World’s End really stunk. But that wasn’t Depp’s fault.
Moving on. Alice in Wonderland, with Depp portraying the Mad Hatter, and Mia Wasikowska (what a last name!) portraying Alice, gives the audience a fantastic ride for a couple of hours. Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, didn’t hurt any either. The graphics are as good as any Iron Man, LOTR or Harry Potter movie. The story differs from the book in many respects, especially towards the end. I love Tim Burton’s take on the story, and I always have liked his artistic vision (Edward Scissorhands, Coraline, Sleepy Hollow). In my opinion, Mia steals the show. And to boot it all, a dragon makes an appearance at the end.
Original Alice in Wonderland
If you didn’t catch this one in the theater, then you missed a good treat. These are one of those that SHOULD BE seen in the theater, unless, of course, you have a home theater system that can compare. Four popcorn boxes out of four. There’s not much I really didn’t like about the interpretation.
