Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland

Originally published on Yahoo Voices

Walt Disney originally released Alice In Wonderland in 1951 was an introduction to Charles "Lewis Carroll" Dodgson's tale. Tim Burton's "Alice In Wonderland" can be considered part 2 of the 1951 film.

This tale of Alice's adventures in Wonderland is based loosely on Lewis Carroll' classic. Mia Wasicowska won three awards for her performance as Alice and was nominated for four other awards. Johnny Depp was nominated for four awards for his performance as the Mad Hatter.

The story was derived from Alice In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass. For those who are not familiar with these two classics, here is an excellent source of summaries and analysis of these two classics.

http://www.literature.org/authors/carroll-lewis/alices-adventures-in-wonderland/index.html

The plot of the movie is derived from the Jabberwocky poem and the Oraculum. The Jabberwocky poem tells of a young boy who slays the Jabberwocky. The jabberwocky is a huge terrifying creature that breaths fire and obeys the Red Queen.

The Oraculum is a compendium of Wonderland containing all events that happened and will happen up to and including Fabjous Day. Fabjous Day is suppose to be the fabulous, joyful day the Red Queen is removed from power.

The Red Queen gained power during Griblig Day. Griblig day is a day of grumbling and discontent. It is the day the Red Queen gained power and kicked out her sister, the White Queen. The Red Queen terrorized the people with the Jabberwocky.

The Red Queen also terrorized the people with the Jubjub bird and the Bandersnatch. The Jubjub bird is another dangerous creature that the Queen uses to terrorize the people.

The Frumious Bandersnatch is a fuming, furious creature that guards the only sword that can kill the Jabberwocky. The sword is called the vorpal sword and is a sharp, deadly sword. But the only person who could successfully kill the Jabberwocky with the vorpal sword is the boy in the sketch in the Oraculum.

The Red Queen's Knave is the Knave of Hearts. He is a deceitful, dishonest person who obeys the Queen's orders. The Red Queen is the Queen of Hearts. She beheads people for the smallest reasons like stealing her tarts. She is a terrible nasty Queen with a childish attitude. Death of her people means nothing to her. The threat of death and the terror of the Jabberwocky is her key to power. The people will live in terror and fear until the Red Queen is removed from power. The Red Queen's soldiers are red playing cards.

Alice is 19 years old. She had dreams about Wonderland when she was a little girl. But on this day, the day of her engagement, she is not happy. Her parents chose her mate for her. This is the day of her engagement. However, she does not care for the man chosen for her. And when that man asks her if she will marry him, she tells him that is what everyone expects her to do.

During this engagement party, she sees the White Rabbit with a watch in his hand. The White Rabbit leads her to a hole by a tree. A hole Alice accidentally falls into. It is the porthole to Wonderland. The people of Wonderland are in trouble and need urgent help from the boy who will slay the Jabberwocky on Fabjous Day. But is Alice that person slaying the Jabberwocky in the Oraculum? Alice thinks not.

Alice is befriended by two short boys named Tweedledee and Tweedledum. She meets the caterpillar named Obsolem. Absolem is the absolute authority on the Oraculum and becomes one of Alice's mentors. She meets the Chesire Cat. The Chesire Cat can smile and can vanish. The Chesire cat helps Alice realize her fate.

Alice is also befriended by the Mad Hatter. The Mad Hatter use to be the Hatter for the White Queen who was defeated by her sister, the Red Queen on Griblig Day. The White Queen's soldiers are chess men. The Mad Hatter and his two friends, the March Hare and the Dormouse have tea every day. The Mad Hatter is certain that Alice is the little boy who slays the Jabberwocky on Fabjous Day. Alice disagrees.

During this experience in Wonderland, Alice learns to live up to her responsibilities and she becomes a woman in her own right. She returns to the real world to settle the issue of her engagement.

This movie was very entertaining. It had a lot of action and will hold the interest of children. The climax was very satisfying. An opening for a third movie about Alice in Wonderland occurs when Alice tells the Mad Hatter that she will be back.