Review of Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) by Zach T — 29 May 2016

Disney's second live-action installment of Lewis Carroll's whimsical stories is a feast for the eyes, but falls short in many other aspects.

The story follows Alice on her second trip into Wonderland, where she finds the Mad Hatter in a rut after a series of events leads him to believe that perhaps his family, which he thought died at the hands of the Red Queens Jabberwocky, is in fact still alive and well. He leaves Alice with the task of finding them, thus launching the story into adventure mode as Alice attempts to travel through time and "do the impossible.".

Going in, I was excited to see this. I liked the first one and am an avid Disney fan, but I'll admit this left me a bit disappointed. While the time travel aspect is intriguing, Alice's introduction into all of these events is quite lackluster and a bit too convenient. The beginning of the film doesn't give us much to work with before she stumbles across a mirror that transports her into Wonderland. The part of the story that takes place in the real world has some potential, but the filmmakers seemed like they were in a rush to get her into Wonderland as soon as possible. The result leaves us rushed and a bit unsatisfied.

The story does pick up towards the middle, though, with background information on both the Red Queen and the White Queen being the saving grace. The ending is predictable, but we don't get there without a few (unnecessary) fakeouts along the way.

As far as performances go, it was an all around good cast, with my stand outs being Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. Carter is a riot as the Red Queen, channeling her former teen angst into believable adult anger with perfect emphasis and superb comic timing. Cohen is perfectly cast as Time. A father time-esque character, his quirks and awkwardness were a perfect match for Cohen, who acts with ease in the midst of trying to stop Alice on her journey.

Overall, Alice Through The Looking Glass is a beautiful looking film with dazzling visuals, an okay but lackluster story that barely does these beloved characters justice, and decent performances throughout. Although this sequel may be a bit unnecessary, feminist undertones make it relevant, offering an important lesson for both children and adults.

3 stars (although I could take off half a star for that Pink song at the end....).