Movie Review: 'Alice in Wonderland', the Wonderland story continues!

Most of us either read, or had the 1865 classic story by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, read to us as children. My favorite of the Wonderland inhabitants is the Cheshire Cat. I’ve always thought of the Cat as one’s conscience, a guiding force for making the decisions and the direction one should take in living life or dealing with circumstances. And, before you think ‘re-make’, this is more of the next chapter in the Wonderland story.

Its some twenty years later as Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is set to become engaged at a lavish social gathering on her family estate. Alice, now 19 years old, is very much opposed to the thought. While at the event, Alice catches a glimpse of the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen) scurrying along the shrubbery, which starts to trigger deep buried memories of so long ago. Following the White Rabbit, Alice once again slips down the familiar passage way and finds herself back in Wonderland.

As the story of Alice and her adventure in Wonderland continues, she embarks on the journey to find her true destiny, reunites with her childhood friends, the White Rabbit, Tweedledum (Matt Lucas), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) and, the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). She also discovers the ultimate reason for her being summoned back to Wonderland, to end the Red Queen’s (Helena Bonham Carter) reign of terror and restore the joy of Wonderland under her sister, the White Queen (Anne Hathaway)!

“Alice in Wonderland”, directed by Tim Burton gives his distinctive creative touch to the classic story, presents the further adventures of Wonderland, while capturing the spirit of the book. As I watched, I had the feeling of revisiting Wonderland and childhood memories, with true anticipation for the knowing the outcome. After all, it’s not a re-telling but rather a continuation of the marvelous tale!

Starring Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, Barbara Windsor, and Paul Whitehouse.

Directed by Tim Burton. Written by Linda Woolverton. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures release. Rated PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar. Runtime: 108 minutes.