The world(s) of the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil are complex and varied, as anyone who's seen any of the now-30 stage/tent shows across the world knows. It can be bewildering...mysterious...it can be threatening...and yes, it can be dangerous and violent. But - and this is a BIG "but" - it can be touching, beautiful, exciting and wonderful, a land of enchantment where anything can (and usually does) happen and where anything (including true love) is possible. In CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: WORLDS AWAY, all of these things happen. Combining acts and characters from the seven Resident Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas (including VIVA ELVIS, which closed in 2012), this film takes the viewer along with the two main characters on a strange and magical journey where they are both helped and hindered by characters from the Cirque du Soleil worlds. One of the best things about this film is that, like the stage shows themselves, almost no dialog is spoken, with the performers telling the story or speaking to each other with every movement.
Sometimes the way the acts move the story along is a bit puzzling; I'm not sure why the battles from KA were used when they were or why the CRISS ANGEL: BELIEVE character was even used at all. While I wish the character of "Le Bebe" from MYSTERE had also been included, the character of "Sparky" from THE BEATLES - LOVE is the real show-stealer of the film. I also wish that more acts from MYSTERE had been used.
One could even say that CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: WORLDS AWAY also adds ideas from ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND (where the heroine falls down a hole into Wonderland) and THE NUTCRACKER ballet (where the hero and heroine perform a a pas de deux that expresses their feelings for each other), but the Cirque du Soleil take is still original, beautiful and fun. I can't comment on the 3-D effect used in the film as my eyesight due to eye surgery doesn't allow me to see 3-D, but even in flat-screen format this film never fails to keep the viewer riveted with acts like "Bateau" from O or the Wheel of Death from KA, and the "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" sequence from LOVE will bring a lump into your throat.
All in all, take your own journey through Wonderland with Cirque du Soleil. Unlike ALICE IN WONDERLAND or THE NUTCRACKER, the worlds of Cirque du Soleil are worlds that anyone would love to wander through and get lost in...and unlike ALICE IN WONDERLAND or THE NUTCRACKER, the dream doesn't have to end.
Sometimes the way the acts move the story along is a bit puzzling; I'm not sure why the battles from KA were used when they were or why the CRISS ANGEL: BELIEVE character was even used at all. While I wish the character of "Le Bebe" from MYSTERE had also been included, the character of "Sparky" from THE BEATLES - LOVE is the real show-stealer of the film. I also wish that more acts from MYSTERE had been used.
One could even say that CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: WORLDS AWAY also adds ideas from ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND (where the heroine falls down a hole into Wonderland) and THE NUTCRACKER ballet (where the hero and heroine perform a a pas de deux that expresses their feelings for each other), but the Cirque du Soleil take is still original, beautiful and fun. I can't comment on the 3-D effect used in the film as my eyesight due to eye surgery doesn't allow me to see 3-D, but even in flat-screen format this film never fails to keep the viewer riveted with acts like "Bateau" from O or the Wheel of Death from KA, and the "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" sequence from LOVE will bring a lump into your throat.
All in all, take your own journey through Wonderland with Cirque du Soleil. Unlike ALICE IN WONDERLAND or THE NUTCRACKER, the worlds of Cirque du Soleil are worlds that anyone would love to wander through and get lost in...and unlike ALICE IN WONDERLAND or THE NUTCRACKER, the dream doesn't have to end.