Review of Alice in Wonderland (1951) by Steve A — 03 Jan 2012

Watching a classic Disney title is like stepping back in time. Compared to modern animation, the classics contain more warmth and less peril. There's also considerably less action. The stories are full of wonder and revel in showing the viewer the setting. One common theme running through all of the titles is the friendly nature of animals and inanimate objects.

In Alice in Wonderland, all of the animals talk. You'll also hear from flowers and a door knob. It's a strange fantasy world inhabited by weird creatures. The adventure begins when Alice follows a white rabbit down a hole. She stumbles across such creatures as oysters, a walrus, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and an army of somewhat threatening playing cards.

Alice can change size by eating things in Wonderland. This can be helpful, but regularly causes her problems. Nothing is logical because it's the stuff of dreams. Most of the creatures are friendly and well-meaning, but there are a few moments of danger when Alice encounters the Queen of Hearts.

The movie has a few too many songs for my particular taste, although it works perfectly as a family film. It's not hard to see why the movie has enchanted children for the past 60 years as there's always something interesting happening. For adults watching it alone, it won't appeal to everyone in the way that perhaps a Pixar movie would. This is mainly aimed at children.

I found myself recognizing some of the voices. The Cheshire Cat was voiced by Sterling Holloway who also played Winnie the Pooh and Kaa the Snake in The Jungle Book. Kathryn Beaumont, who is still alive, voiced Wendy Darling in Peter Pan.

While the movie is a lot of fun, it lacks the heart and innocence of other early Disney classics such as Bambi or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. That said, it deserves a place in your library if you have young children. The colors, songs, memorable creatures and fast pace will hold the attention of most children.