Something Spectacular?

     Jame's Cameron's Avatar (2009) is no doubt a spectacle. The people have flocked to witness the vast new world of Pandora, and the enchanting creatures that inhabit it. There are, of course other films in cinema's history that have more to offer visually than dramatically or intellectually, and it is my opinion that Tim Burton's latest film Alice in Wonderland fits this bill.
     Despite the fact that it's based on a beloved story with characters and lines as classic as any other book, this adaptation didn't wow me. Although I cannot speak on the subject of whether it was a decent adaptation or not, seeing as how I haven't read the books, nor recall watching the full 1951 animation, I can speak on about the film as a unique entity.
     The emphasis, it would appear, was on the spectacle, elaborating sequences of jungle trudges and shape shifting, rather than focusing on the film's main character Alice. As New York Times critic Manohla Dargis points out, Alice seems to be a mindless wanderer through the Underworld, as much a visitor to the story as the audience. But I find it rather difficult to identify with a character who neither knows who she is, nor has a major role in figuring it out. She is a character who undergoes changes that are merely shallow, vapid ones, and we never truly get to see under the surface.

     No, I'm afraid we are forced instead to stare at the CG version of Underworld. In fact, I'm not sure I can consider this film any more of a live-action film as I do Avatar. Everything was animated, from the Red Queen's sidekick to the earth Alice walks on, to Alice herself (for portions of the film). I found myself disappointed in the amount of CG necessary, and in the verisimilitude of the world. I would much rather have seen constructed sets with a moderate amount of amazing CG, than a moderate amount of reality mixed into an unsatisfying world of CG.
      So, unfortunately, I cannot say that the main focus of the film, the spectacle, was up to my standards, and therefore the film was not up to my standards. It was, however, a delightful film full of quaint characters, even if it was rather dull. It seemed to move quickly, and at an hour and forty eight minutes running time, it was not a rather large waste of my time. Don't let me discourage you though, there were plenty of people at the theater who seemed to enjoy and appreciate Alice in Wonderland.


What's A Nice Girl Doing In This Hole? by Manohla Dargis


Alice In Wonderland film website