Cleverly enough, Tim Burton’s latest film is actually the sequel to a movie he never made but probably wanted to. In his Alice in Wonderland, the little girl has grown into a young woman (well played by Mia Wasikowska) and revisits the world below the rabbit hole. Who knows? Maybe 10 years from now Burton will film Alice’s second return, this time in middle age.
The Blu-ray/DVD release includes the requisite making-of bonus features. As for the main attraction, the movie itself, it has its ups and downs. Johnny Depp was born to play the Mad Hatter and brightens every scene, whether or not tea is served. Helena Bonham-Carter seems to be having a good time as the wicked Red Queen, while Anne Hathaway looks a bit lost as her counterpart in White.
Depp and Bonham-Carter’s bodies were modified by special effects; most other denizens of the fantasy world are computer generated with a certain flair. But the movie’s script is more OK than memorable, and much of the excitement is spent on CGI chases through the wizardly woods and under the giant toadstools.
