Burton, IMAX brings new dimension to ‘Alice’
I haven’t been to an IMAX since middle school. I saw a documentary about the planet and was mildly impressed. Nearly 10 years later, I gave it another shot with "Alice in Wonderland." I’m glad I went. A couple months ago I saw "Avatar" in 3D and just figured this was the next logical step. When it comes to IMAX, it’s a whole new ball game. It was like I was actually in the movie. I don’t know what the male version would be, "Allen in Wonderland?" Regardless, the fantasy jumps off the screen and seems as if it could be reality. The tale told in this film is actually a combination of both "Alice in Wonderland" and the sequel "Through the Looking Glass." Some characters from "Through the Looking Glass" are transferred into the story, but that’s quite common. We are familiar with young Alice who follows the rabbit down into the magical land. We know the exaggerated smile of the Cheshire Cat. We expect the Hatter to be absolutely mad. This film provides these necessary elements, but in a way that is only possible with 2010 technology. We fall down the hole with Alice. We can almost smell the Cheshire Cat’s breath. And we can see the insanity in the Hatter’s eye. It’s a great way to experience such a tale. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve heard the story; this is definitely a fresh take on it. This version was directed by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp. The duo has worked on several films together and they are always interesting. Their previous works include "Edward Scissorhands," "Sleepy Hollow" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Depp plays the role of the Mad Hatter to perfection. He might as well have been a patient from a psych ward. Other cast members include Burton’s wife, Helena Bonham Carter, also in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," as the Red Queen and Anne Hathaway, ("The Devil Wears Prada") as the White Queen. The actor I was most happy to see was Crispin Glover as the Knave of Hearts. He hasn’t been in many films since the "Back to the Future" series, and it was a nice surprise. I will be frequenting the IMAX more because it was truly and completely a trip "through the looking glass."
