On Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" (spoiler-free)

[tinpra]

I officially like Syfy's Alice over Burton's, much as I love Tim Burton as a general rule. While it was an enjoyable film, it still...dragged? I think the group consensus was that the story moved quickly, and yet it was a kinda boring story. Visually interesting, but oddly slow. I kept waiting for Something Big and Interesting to happen, and it sorta never really did. Perhaps the film is suffering from its own hype? Overall it is not, by any stretch, a bad film. Was it worth paying full price for (always my barometer of movie-worthiness)...? Eh, I'm not so sure.

If you have the option of seeing it in IMAX 3D, don't bother. (Of course my first ever 3D film was Avatar so I may be a lot biased. IDK.)

Anyone else seen it yet and have thoughts?

Comments

[jaguarx13.livejournal.com]

I agree. Visually quite lovely, though at some points really cluttered, but overall, I found it slow as well.

[tinpra.livejournal.com]

The scenes nearer the beginning, when Alice has met the gang and they're running through the forest was definitely full of el clutter.

I did think of you, however, with all of her costume changes :)

[jaguarx13.livejournal.com]

I loved the blue striped fabric of her shruken dress, and the red dress the queen gives her very much. The assymetry was lovely. And the red card guards were fab.

[tinpra.livejournal.com]

The red dress *was* a small piece of awesome. I think the last outfit was least interesting, though I guess it was more in keeping with the aesthete of the White Queen's court (simple lines, etc.). Or maybe it was supposed to be a visual transition from dress-up-Alice to warrior-Alice?

I kept waiting for the red card guards to take off their helmets. I guess those were their actual heads. Oh! And I kinda loved the Dor Mouse's pink outfit, in spite of my anti-pink stance.

It was a lot of fun

[krool1280.livejournal.com]

I really think the IMAX 3D option added a substantial amount. I saw Avatar just in 3D, and even though that was great, it would have been amazing in IMAX as well I'm thinking now.
I heard about 'Alice', and how the film may be inspired by the show as well as the comic series.
I wasn't disappointed though; not like I was with Willy Wonka. Even considered seeing it again as I saw it with a boisterous hilarious group that at times, made my giggles louder than the screen.
The cheshire cat was particularly wonderful.
But that's just me.

Re: It was a lot of fun

[tinpra.livejournal.com]

I actually wonder if I would have liked Burton's Alice better if I hadn't seen Syfy's (and it hurts my geeky heart to have to write "syfy" and not scifi, but that's a diff issue). The Syfy version is a true departure, but with enough references to tie it back to the original--or as they say the "Alice of legend." You feel like this is Future!Wonderland.

It seems, though, that we are having a complete reversal with our impressions of Willy Wonka and Alice. :) I was definitely disappointed by this Alice but quite charmed by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Re: It was a lot of fun

[krool1280.livejournal.com]

Probably. Its just like reading a book and seeing the film based on it.
I was actually most happy about it being its own sort of entity, different enough from the original story that I wouldnt have any qualms with where Tim Burton went.
Charlie was pretty much a disgrace to the Gene Wilder masterpiece. However, David and I were discussing this last night, and I think we both realized that unless Willy Wonka was a childhood staple for you the way it was for us, it would perhaps make sense for a person to come out with the impression that it wasn't as good.

Re: It was a lot of fun

[tinpra.livejournal.com]

The feelings of ppl who grew up on Willy Wonka about Charlie... seem to be rather sharply divided, at least among the ppl I know. There are those who enjoy them each in their own right and see no conflict, which is where I fall. And there are those who feel as you do, that the new version couldn't hold a match, let alone a whole candle, to Gene Wilder's performance. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground from what I can see. The only person I know who's seen it but didn't grow up on the original is my Mom. She doesn't particularly like either of them. Why? "The old people" in the beginning gross her out. *shrugs* I love her, but she's a strange woman.

One random thing I particularly liked about Charlie..., and wasn't wholly expecting, was how faithful it is to Dahl's book, which I hadn't read until the new movie was coming out. I don't remember now if I knew that they would try to follow the book.

Re: It was a lot of fun

[tinpra.livejournal.com]

And you're probably very right about my double-Alice issue. Had I but known I would have held off. Le sigh.