Alice in Wonderland

Nick did a director's documentary on Tim Burton this semester, so today we eagerly awaited our 6:00 showing of Alice in Wonderland. I had zero expectations. I don't even like Johnnie Depp. Burton's Queen of Hearts and Mad Hatter looked pretty bizarre in the posters, and my own ugly visions of Alice were based on the illustrations (right) by Sir John Tenniel from the book we had when I was a child.

But the movie was technicolor at its best. I was in awe of the creators and their visions--of the rabbit hole, the costumes, the landscapes, the creatures, the actors--pretty much the whole time. Loved the 3D effects of Alice looking up at the table, seeing that bottle with the label "drink me" from below, and this Alice, the Australian Mia Wasikowska, so real and beautiful.

Michael liked the March hare at the teaparty; Nick was impressed by the Mad Hatter's costume. But while I was enthralled, overall the boys didn't care for it, and Patrick even thought it was kind of boring. I wonder how Elizabeth will like it. Is it a girl's movie, or is it just more awe-inspiring for those who've read the book to see it in action?

Maybe it really is for adults who have been hearing allusions to the story their whole lives--the Jabberwocky, the vorpal sword, the mad hatter, the red queen. I remember Karyn and I even had Tweedledee and Tweedledum matching outfits as preschoolers. For me, it was amazing to see all these fuzzy figures from the past come to life, so much bigger and better than I ever imagined them. And of course I loved the outcome of the empowered Alice. Yay! Go see it and tell me what YOU think.