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Mia Wasikowska stars as Alice in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

Mar 03, 2010 By Tim Grierson Web Exclusive

Few contemporary directors are as consistent as Tim Burton—consistently frustrating, that is. Though still blessed with an agreeably dark sensibility and a knack for striking visual design, Burton makes movies that are a treat for the eye, but it's been far too long since he's engaged the heart and head as confidently. Maybe that's why it's little surprise that his latest effort, Alice in Wonderland, is exactly what you'd expect from a Tim Burton film—unfortunately.

Adapting Lewis Carroll's 19th-century works Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, Burton and screenwriter Linda Woolverton take us to Victorian-era London as 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) longs for an independent life free of the pressures of marrying into aristocracy. Her salvation presents itself in a most unlikely way: a rabbit hole that sends her tumbling into the magical, terror-stricken world of Underland, where the wicked Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) rules the kingdom with an iron fist and a comically oversized head. Cheered on by the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), Alice must slay the Jabberwocky, the Red Queen's fearsome beast, to restore happiness to Underland.

While Alice in Wonderland's early, understated scenes in London suggest that Burton might refrain from his usual gimmicks, once Alice enters Underland the film becomes a primer on nearly every one of the director's tiresome aesthetic trademarks. It's not just that he once again employs Depp to play an oddball character; it's Burton's insistence, as per norm, on having a passive protagonist (Alice) who goes through a dull, episodic plot, emphasizing quirkiness over emotion or nuance. To be fair, Robert Stromberg's production design and Colleen Atwood's costumes are spectacular, but Burton's continued disinterest in tight narratives diminishes Alice in Wonderland's technical wonders. You'll be wowed by the look of Underland, but you'll be bored by what happens there. (Incidentally, if you see the movie in 3D, be advised that while the technology allows for a slightly more immersive experience, it pales in comparison to other recent 3D projects like Coraline or Avatar.)

Depp gives a deeply hammy, mannered performance, but sadly it sets the tone for much of Underland's comic rhythms. Where once Burton wielded a sharp, twisted sense of humor, too often his recent films have simply seemed manic and labored. As a result, Alice in Wonderland is dark without being particularly funny, and broad performances from Bonham Carter (as the movie's villainess) and Anne Hathaway (playing a self-mocking caricature of fantasy-film royalty) fail to surprise or delight. Looking lost amidst the overblown performances and lavish effects is Wasikowska, who has less a character to play than an attitude of perpetually annoyed puzzlement to embody. Like the audience, she seems like she just wants to go home. (adisney.go.com/disneypictures/aliceinwonderland)

Author rating: 5/10