Disney Pixar’s latest film, Alice in Wonderland, is certainly a graphic feat. The 3D technology, actors moving seamlessly through wonderfully animated environments, imaginative creatures, and a half-animated, half-human Johnny Depp contribute to a movie that will awe audiences visually. Beyond that, however, the movie is a bit of a mixed bag.
In terms of the updated characters, plot, and themes, this version of Alice in Wonderland has become a thoroughly "modern" affair. Gone are many of the peculiar features that made the original novel and film great. They have been replaced by ideologies characterized by rootlessness and materialism. To begin with, consider a number of the character alterations.
The film’s lead actress, Australian Mia Wasikowska, makes for a pretty, strong-willed, and eccentric Alice. Though she handles her role well, I was not fully satisfied with the script's characterization of Alice. Alice is depicted as being intelligent, independent, and quirky early on in the movie, which contrasts to the highly creative but ditzy and ultimately dependent Alice from the '51 film. While the new Alice likely has more appeal to the feminists in the audience, many will miss the traditional depiction.
Other characters undergo more drastic changes. The Mad Hatter, played by Depp, becomes a more prominent figure in this film, while the Cheshire Cat, by far the most memorable character after Alice in the old film, sadly plays only a forgettable bit part. The Queen of Hearts transforms from a hulking, commanding, grossly belligerent figure to a short, conniving, bluntly sinister one. The White Rabbit’s role is cool while it lasts, but he isn’t there much, while the monocle-wearing caterpillar takes on the role of adviser for Alice and even gets his own death scene.
Completely new characters are even added in this film. The most important is the White Queen, who takes on the role of "good queen" opposed to the evil Queen of Hearts. Anne Hathaway’s takes up the role and proves the most intriguing character in the film. She is made to look ghostly pale but also wears a black lipstick which creates an appearance that is angelically pure and mysteriously seductive.
Coming into this movie, I expected a remake of the Alice in Wonderland classic with updated visuals and a Tim Burton twist, but I quickly saw that this movie is supposed to be more of a sequel. Unfortunately, this movie cannot be said to assume the full sense of that word. Not only are new characters added and defining ones significantly altered, this rendition also loses much of the mystery and flair that made the original Alice great.
Wonderland is supposed to be a place that is radically opposed to the realm of everyday life. It was meant to be the literal result of Alice’s wish that the world would turn to “nonsense" and that "nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?”
The original Wonderland was a supra-moral world to the point of absurdity, but this version unfortunately makes it out to be a run-of-the-mill Good vs. Evil one. Further,
the characters in the original were interesting because they were the opposite of their prototypes in real life. For example, the original Queen of Hearts was interesting because she was needlessly loud, arbitrary, idiotic, and uncouth - characteristics unbecoming of a ruler, to say the least. In contrast, the updated Queen has many all-too-real characteristics of ruler, which makes her an utterly believable, but boring, evil, female version of Napoleon.
Other characters were meant to be totally arbitrary as well, expressing the nonsensicality and strangeness of the world they live in. Unfortunately, Disney churns out characters that audiences can relate to and cheer for, as the Mad Hatter goes from an insane man who has the unshakable desire to have Alice as his guest for tea to a person reasonably trying to save the world from evil. The White Rabbit is meant to have one role, to be late and run away, but he helps Alice in this film. Again, everyone seems perfectly content with the Queen’s role in 1951’s version, but in this one her power hangs on threads.
[Minor Spoilers ahead]
This sequel’s disloyalty to the old plot and characterizations is disappointing, and some of the themes and messages it passes off are as well. In the original Alice in Wonderland, Alice learns an important lesson: that the world is alright as it is. In this film, however, she learns nothing. While I was expecting Alice to gain maturity from her adventure and want to settle down in the real world, she instead remains discontent with the more than satisfactory life laid out for her. The film has a very "Americanized" ending in the bad sense of the term, suggesting that Alice need travel the whole world before settling down into a rooted life. It is also an absurdly feminist ending as well, as it expressly promotes the idea that women need find "Mr. Right" as opposed to finding someone realistic and likeable by having Alice turn down a somewhat flawed but very good mate. This idea has had a destructive effect on marriage.
Coupled with the anti-marriage themes in the plot are those of mercantilism and globalism. Alice is going not just going on a new adventure at the film's close, she is embarking on a mercantile venture. This is in lieu of the opportunity she had to marry a Lord, which would have meant a rooted and stable life for the young Alice. Even hints at globalism work their way into the film, as Alice's business prospects will take her to China of all places. A cosmopolitan and materialistic lifestyle, in conformity with feminist ideals, is promoted here, as opposed to one characterized by rootedness and family life.
Despite its flaws, Alice in Wonderland, is a worthwhile and at times very good movie. While some of the changes are disappointing, it’s still worth a watch.
