I was so excited when I finally got Alice in Wonderland, I had been waiting forever - or so it seemed - on the library waiting list. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp doing Alice in Wonderland sounded so cool so perfect.
As soon as I got home, I popped it in. Well, it was pretty although some of the scenery looked like it came from The Nightmare before Christmas. And there was a lot of it, scenery I mean. Beyond that.....
I never read the books as a kid and I still haven't, but I suspect it has more substance than scenery. The action, such as it was, was minimal. Johnny Depp was just weird and not good weird, but just weird weird as the Mad Hatter. His make-up looked more out of a zombie movie than Alice. The Cheshire cat did not behave like a Cheshire cat - no disappearing a leaving just a smile. But I may be wrong because about this time, I had to fight to keep awake and I did doze off now and then. Somewhere toward the end, I did manage to wake up. It looked like there might be something developing between Alice and the Mad Hatter. In a flashback I had seen him before the red queen took over and he looked like Johnny Depp with weird hair. So I thought maybe when the white queen won he might return to being Johnny Depp and Alice might find him more attractive and interesting than the dork back home. But alas, no. He stayed a zombie and she went home, but at least she refused the dork. I told myself I would watch it again, but I couldn't. It was too boring. There are only two Tim Burton films that I didn't finish - not because they were bad, but because they bothered me in some way. Edward Sissorhands was just too sad. It was like a tragedy but without a tragic hero. Watching Edward was like watching someone torturing a puppy. Couldn't take it. The beloved Ed Wood was just too outré for me. I loved or really liked everything else, even Mars Attacks. But Alice was boring. I still can't believe that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp ruined a movie they were born to make. Go watch the Disney version. No kidding, it is better.
As soon as I got home, I popped it in. Well, it was pretty although some of the scenery looked like it came from The Nightmare before Christmas. And there was a lot of it, scenery I mean. Beyond that.....
I never read the books as a kid and I still haven't, but I suspect it has more substance than scenery. The action, such as it was, was minimal. Johnny Depp was just weird and not good weird, but just weird weird as the Mad Hatter. His make-up looked more out of a zombie movie than Alice. The Cheshire cat did not behave like a Cheshire cat - no disappearing a leaving just a smile. But I may be wrong because about this time, I had to fight to keep awake and I did doze off now and then. Somewhere toward the end, I did manage to wake up. It looked like there might be something developing between Alice and the Mad Hatter. In a flashback I had seen him before the red queen took over and he looked like Johnny Depp with weird hair. So I thought maybe when the white queen won he might return to being Johnny Depp and Alice might find him more attractive and interesting than the dork back home. But alas, no. He stayed a zombie and she went home, but at least she refused the dork. I told myself I would watch it again, but I couldn't. It was too boring. There are only two Tim Burton films that I didn't finish - not because they were bad, but because they bothered me in some way. Edward Sissorhands was just too sad. It was like a tragedy but without a tragic hero. Watching Edward was like watching someone torturing a puppy. Couldn't take it. The beloved Ed Wood was just too outré for me. I loved or really liked everything else, even Mars Attacks. But Alice was boring. I still can't believe that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp ruined a movie they were born to make. Go watch the Disney version. No kidding, it is better.