Review of Alice in Wonderland (2010) by Dylan D — 10 Sep 2014

Alice in Wonderland is an overpowered and underdeveloped but nevertheless intriguing and generally fun film that's got it halfway right. Tim Burton's take on Lewis Carroll's make-believe world of Wonder(Under)land is lavishly realized down to the finest detail, but there's still something missing from it all that leaves the movie as devoid of meaning as a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth in a 14-1 ballgame.

The film's visual excesses can't mask the underwhelming plot, the well-acted but poorly-scripted characters, and a long middle stretch where not much happens on the way to the predictably inevitable special effects climax.

Alice in Wonderland is Burton's most visually arresting film, but it lacks the spirit of Batman, his finest movie where strong characters, a great story, and a pronounced yet balanced noir style all worked to cinematic perfection.