the Informer

(Courtesy of pocketchange.become.com)

When one thinks of “Alice in Wonderland” a white rabbit, a bizarre tea party, a hookah smoking caterpillar and about a million and one ways to reference hallucinogens probably come to mind.

But with Tim Burton’s latest dramatization of the classic Disney film, quirky characters and blissful sing-alongs were replaced with brute confrontation and curious personalities.

The spectacle of the film’s 3D cinematography saved it from the uninspired plot as Burton and Depp loyalists, as well as euphoria-hungry teens flocked to the theaters, earning it $116.1 million in its opening weekend.

Drawing inspiration for the film from Lewis Caroll’s “Through the Looking Glass” rather than the more familiar Disney film, this rendition turned out to be something completely unexpected. But whether Burton’s inclination to be different worked this time is up for debate.

In the film, the character of Alice is advanced 10 years into the future and on the verge of being engaged to a man she doesn’t love.  The prospect of “wonderland” is played out as a reoccurring dream, and when Alice falls down the rabbit hole, it isn’t for the first time.

The plot revolves around the conflict between the White Queen and her sister, the Red Queen, leaving the more memorable characters such as the Mad Hatter, Chesire Cat and the Caterpillar with degenerated parts. Alice’s apathetic character was still in the foreground as the sole person who had the power to defeat the diabolical Red Queen.

Alice in Wonderland stayed true to Burton’s form, generating a much more sinister Wonderland than before.

With the creation of cartoon-like characters through dramatic makeup and exaggerated features, the live actors blended perfectly with the animated portions of the film, truly turning it into a wonder.

Visuals such as the Red Queen’s (Helena Bonham Carter) bulbous head, and the Mad Hatter’s (Johnny Depp) farcical facade, amplified the film into something great. The plot, on the other hand, lacked the depth that could have made it go above and beyond.

If Depp and Carter’s past collaborations with Burton were any indication, their spot-on portrayals of their characters solidified their ability to play the crazed, confidant and vile villain.

Though relatively reminiscent of Willey Wonka and Mrs. Lovett of “Sweeny Todd,” their performances only raised the bar for whatever they do next.

Also newly recruited to Burton’s army of esteemed actors was Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, whose ability to act prim and proper created a stark yet necessary contrast to her fictitious sister’s assertive demeanor.

If nothing else, Burton’s individualistic approach succeeded yet again by creating a bizarre yet dazzling world people would be mad to miss.