Fall down the rabbit hole with Burton’s Alice in Wonderland

Watch me. Like the bottle Alice couldn't resist, Tim Burton's latest innovative rendition of Alice In Wonderland has been drawing in fans for months.  Like any other Burton film it is crazy, kooky, a little disturbing and mind blowing all at once.

In many of his films, Burton takes audiences and viewers to a whole new world. His imagination is like no other, so when word got out that Burton would be doing his own interpretation of the Disney classic Alice in Wonderland, people were either skeptical or beyond excited.

This Burton adaptation however, is not a remake. The previews that have been going around prior to its release can be a bit misleading, but this Alice in Wonderland is actually a continuation of the iconic Disney version. With amazing special affects and styling that Burton has built his reputation on, experiencing the film was pushed even further by having it be in 3-D.

And what Burton film could be complete without his wife, Helena Bonham Carter, as the Red Queen with a larger than life cranium and his go-to man for any leading role, Johnny Depp, who takes on the ever so manic Mad Hatter.

He continues with an all-star cast and adds his twist on the classic tale with the addition of the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). With a smaller name in Hollywood, Mia Wasikowska is cast as the leading role of Alice.

We are reintroduced to Alice who is now 19, and like any 19-year-old she is trying to figure out her life. Still young with an outrageous imagination and curiosity, it is inevitable that she stumbles upon the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen) and takes the journey down the rabbit hole and into the world of Wonderland.

Believing that she is in a dream, Alice continues to wander around and is introduced to the colorful characters we all grew up with, like the ever amusing Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas), the mischievous Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) and the smoke blowing Caterpillar (Alan Rickman). 

Known for his dark motifs, Burton portrays the mystical land with an eerie tone. There is more gloom and a hesitant feeling than the colorful bright welcoming images many were expecting. The film uses more rich colors adding depth as opposed to eye-popping ones.

"Is this the right Alice?" is asked throughout the beginning, hinting that Wonderland is seeking a certain Alice for help. This is where Burton's twist is made apparent. The mystical animated beings of Wonderland then explain to Alice that they are in dire need of a certain Alice as their hero to save them.

Here we are introduced to "The Oraculum," an ancient scroll that documents all of the events, past and present of Wonderland. The scroll shows one day in particular where everyone believes Wonderland will be saved and it will be restored to the joy it used to be once again.

Alice feels familiar with her surroundings and everyone in it, but cannot recall why. In denial of everything she has experienced so far, Alice continues to tell herself that it is all a dream and that she is in control.

A bulk of the film follows Alice and her quest to essentially "wake-up" from this dream while she goes on a journey to find the White Queen and help save wonderland from the horrible Red Queen.

Audiences also encounter Stayne (Crispin Glover) as the Knave of Hearts. Working with the Red Queen, his quest is to find Alice, have it be the right one or not, and prevent her from doing anything to jeopardize the way of life as it currently is in Wonderland.

With the use of animated characters and Computer Generated Imaging (CGI), Burton's adaptation can be compared to that of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, where these animals and characters are so detailed and contain a certain depth of how they act and interact with the real life characters.

Like most of his films, Burton raises the bar every time with his visual affects. From CGI to impeccable costuming and make-up, the Wonderland he brings to life exceeds what one could only imagine in their wildest dreams.

The styling in particular was one of the many highlights of the film. Using Victorian pieces like the White

Rabbit's waistcoat, lavish dresses for Alice and ever-changing coats and bows for the Mad Hatter, Burton balances between innovative CGI structuring of characters while giving the real life characters a more personal feel with their attire.

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is visually mesmerizing, although the plot takes the audience some time to play catch up with after a while. Even if someone has not seen the classic Alice in Wonderland, Burton's adaptation still contains the whimsical
essence of the original, even if it only features just a few of the many unique characters.

Don't be late for this very important date and experience the captivating world of Alice in Wonderland.