Tim Burton's latest movie seems more like an excuse for him to play with CG and 3D.  I did not see the movie in 3D, but feel a good movie should be able to stand on its own.  Sadly, this was not a good movie.

It wasn't a BAD movie.  It was worth the $3 admission at Frederick Twin (+Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon).  But I wouldn't really recommend it, even as a kids movie.

What was so wrong with the film?

Firstly, the CG was constantly "off".  Anything that was animated seemed a millisecond behind, or a slightly wrong angle to, the actor being enhanced.  If that was intentional, meant to convey the "off-ness" of Wonderland, then well done.  Otherwise, it was just annoying to look at.  Especially when it was applied to the Hatter's eyes to make them bigger than normal.

Secondly, the lessons were "off".  Disney films (and fairy tales) tend to have morals, or lessons, for the audience to take away.  What was the lesson here?  From the start of the movie, Alice is being set up to kill the Jabberwocky.  She won't, because "she won't slay."  Obviously, it's no surprise at the end that she fulfills her destiny, because it couldn't possibly be anyone else wielding the sword that "wants" to kill the Jabberwocky.  So she becomes the hero by going against her most valued virtue?

Furthermore, the white queen, who orchestrated the whole thing, also has vowed not to harm a living thing.  Yet it's okay to arrange a killing?  How very "It's okay so long as I personally don't pull the trigger."  Interesting lesson to instill into children.
In her kind and gentle ways, the white queen wouldn't kill the villainous red queen.  No, she mercifully banished her adversary and decreed it illegal for anyone to talk to her or help her in any way.  Complete isolation for someone who just wanted to be loved (which is all the red queen wanted, in her own misguided way) seems pretty cold.  Death might be more merciful.

One thing that I've found frustrating with recent Alice retellings, is that no matter how much they try to make it about her "being her own person, making her own choices, and not letting others decide her fate", it still ends up being exactly the opposite.  Alice is perpetually a puppet for others.

The Good:
- Some of the animation was pretty good.  The dog, the rabbit (NOT the March Hare)

The Bad:
- It was often hard to understand what the characters were saying.  So many nonsense words interjected with mumbly speaking.. half the time I didn't know what was being discussed.

The Ugly:
- Depp's Dance at the end of the movie.  Horribly timed.  Just seemed to be thrown in.

Rating:
2.5/5 stars