"You've lost your muchness," says The Mad Hatter, Johnny Depp's latest whirlwind characterization of a pre-existing character. Depp makes himself the Hatter in such a way that it would almost seem odd if someone else had tried to portray the role. And if Alice has lost her "muchness" as the Hatter implies, Tim Burton's loss of muchness has been greatly exaggerated. If anything, with "Alice in Wonderland", he's found at least some of it again,
Sinister Undertones of the Mad Hatter
Burton has never been one to play into the common aspects of the mainstream film. He's one of film's all time most innovative visual directors; if the term "visionary" can be applied to a filmmaker, he defines that appropriation. His characters are routinely exaggerated, and even the brightest have a dark underside, and that's just the way he likes it. Alice is no different. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of his Alice adaptation is the sinister aspect of the Hatter character, made all the more bizarre and effective by the master thespian portraying him.
As the Hatter, Depp is much more than the trailer implies. Yes, he IS a silly, goofy looking huckster who delivers the silliest lines with a delicious glee...but he's also capable of implying an underlying pathos. And even more welcome in a performance in which not much character development is warranted (or needed, for that matter) is that dark, deep rooted, true disturbance of behaviour. It's those moments that define Burton's film, and suggest that further exploration of the Hatter might be a thrilling event. The implication of the Hatter's schizophrenia isn't as surprising as the effectiveness of the moments when the sinister side of the Hatter surfaces. He becomes unpredictable, and thus elevates the proceedings to the same level.
Some will say this is just another of Depp's kooky characterizations, but they're missing something with that easy shortcut: the deft (and daft) brilliance of Johnny Depp in relation to the overall feel of the film. He's one of our bravest actors in this way, because he takes chances that other actors wouldn't fully commit to...even if they wanted to. Sometimes he makes bad decisions, but he never seems to mail them in. There might be the temptation to write off his performance as less because of the nature of the character. After all, this isn't DeNiro in Taxi Driver, right? But to ignore a great performance because of it's oddity is a mistake.
How Good Is Alice?
And what of the movie itself? It would seem that doing something unique with a story that's been retold and reiterated dozens of times since it's inception 150 years ago would be quite a task, one that filmgoers might overlook. It's quite an ambition to try something new with a story like this, but of course that's what attracts Tim Burton to projects such as these. He succeeds in immersing us in a world of his creation, at least as immersive as the lush landscape world of the multi-nominated Avatar. The bottom line is that the movie isn't as good as Burton's very best, but not as bad as his worst. And that still makes it pretty darn good.
The acting is good, and for the most part, fitting. The amazing Helena Bonham Carter threatens to steal the show yet again (as with Sweeney Todd) as the regrettably large headed, motor mouthed Red Queen. She is amusing and delivers her lines with zest and zeal. Mia Wasikowska plays Alice as she should be; going along for the ride, content to let the Hatter and the Red Queen as well as any number of CGI characters bask in the absurdity of it all. She's effectively expressive and lovely in that fragile way...but still manages to look cool in the Alice "armor". Crispin Glover is good as the Knave, if a bit underused. The exception is Anne Hathaway, who seems to be trying to channel Glenda the Good Witch, but with irritating and distracting results.
The voice characterizations are all very well done, standouts being Alan Rickman as the Blue Caterpillar and the iconic horror star Christopher Lee, who makes his few lines as the Jabberwocky extremely memorable.
Visually, the movie alternates between multi-colored dreamscapes, nightmarishly garish dark hues, and strange close-ups framed with barren sky...reflecting the ever-changing overall mood of Underland as apparently dictated by it's dwellers.
Tim Burton's Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland illustrates the genius of Tim Burton, and also his perceived flaws. While not as ultimately satisfying as some of his self-penned masterpiece works of fantasy and fairytales such as Edward Scissorhands, the film is still worthwhile and kids should especially love visiting the wondrous and lush world he's designed. It's better than some of his most recent forays, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Much more...muchier.
Paul Counelis - I have written for many years on many subjects, my favorite being the horror culture genre. Some of the publications that I've written ...
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