Alice in Wonderland

I also really liked Anna Wasikowska. Her acting wasn't perfect...sometimes it was...well, I can't think of how to describe it. Maybe like she seemed to be acting younger than she was supposed to be, or something? Some of her lines were a little stiff, but overall, I thought she did great. Anyway, she looks perfectly like the Alice I always imagined. Especially after she fell down the hole and her hair got loose from that horrid style it was in. :p

Alambil and Tarvis said:
I just have to say, I LOVED this movie. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, but now I am am just in love with it. I'm reading the original Alice books right now and I love how they threw in all these little elements from them and kept true to the original whimsical mood of Carroll's stories, while pursuing their own new storyline. I'm not upset about all the book canon changes (I usually don't like it when movies do that) because the original books are just so RANDOM that it's hard to make movies off them without having seem completely pointless. Honestly, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are probably the two strangest books I have ever read. They make absolutely NO sense and really don't have ANY plot whatsoever. They're really good, don't get me wrong, but they're just SO RANDOM. I like the fact that this movie actually took the original elements and just added a storyline to give it an actual point

I also love the music...not a surprise, though, b/c I'm a huge fan of Danny Elfman And Anna Wasikowska is an AMAZING actress.
And Alan Rickman as Absolem the Blue Caterpillar? EPIC WIN.
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I agree. The new plot was necessary, because the books are about Alice just randomly wandering around. And I loved the music also. :)
 
getting the words right

Well, I had mixed feeling about Burton's Alice. Visually of course it was stunning and the CGI characters were amazing (especially Jabberwocky), and I ditto what others have said already about the Red Queen et al.

To me, however, one of the top reasons I love the Alice books is because of the wit and wordplay and unexpected twists and turns (what someone else refers to as randomness, I suppose). This movie version, though, in my opinion seemed to downplay that spirit of playfulness in lieu of advancing the storyline. Of course as an adventure and self-discovery/coming of age/quest genre the plot works fine, and I realize this is a sequel rather than a remake... But it just left me feeling like I just had heard a familiar poem but the words were not quite right.

I much prefer the 1933 Paramount version, blending Wonderland and the Looking Glass so delightfully in Tenniel's style; it has recently been released (after decades imprisoned in the Paramount vaults) in the wake of Burton's Alice. I'm so glad I can now dump my grainy old VHS-from-TV recording and can enjoy clear views of Everett Horton (of "Fractured Fairy Tales" fame) as the Mad Hatter, the wonderful chess costumes... And of course W.C. Fields as Humpty Dumpty, and Cary Grant as Mock Turtle are brilliant! My mother watched it with me last week and laughed and laughed when Cary Grant sang "Beautiful Soup" :)

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not looking for a debate on the merits of having a plot-driven film versus a more episodic one. Similarly, I know people who love and people who abhor the Alice books as well. Chacun à son goût (each to his own taste). I enjoyed Burton's Alice, but it's the 1933 version that I've brought home.
 
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Well, I liked the addition of "plot" b/c the books were SO random that I almost felt, honestly, that I was on drugs or something. Reading too much Lewis Carroll at one time seriously makes you very confused and disoriented (I'm reading a book of his poetry right now and I can only read a few poems at a time before having to take a break). And although I haven't seen all of the old Disney animated version, one of my friends said it scared her as a kid b/c it was just so "trippy" and incredibly random and pointless.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Carroll's "wit and wordplay" in his writing. The problem is, it's very difficult to translate all the hidden philosophical and mathematical and logic puzzles into something that works cinematically. With Burton's film, they took Carroll's original elements and played with them so to make something that would work well as a film without confusing an audience that most likely wouldn't be able to pick up on all of Carroll's subtle riddles. If they're hard enough to figure out while reading, they'd be even harder to convey on-screen. They work quite well in the books, but in a way I think it was necessary for there to be a linear plotline added to the film; otherwise the majority of people would've felt entirely lost...or, better put, dazed and confused.
 
I adored this film, although I'm one of those who thought Mia was a little weak as Alice - it might have been the way the character was written, though.

I was inspired to create these, my favorite new shoes:

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Heh heh. You should see people's expressions when I wear these.
 
amazing kicks

Sunrise the art work on those shoes is impressive! What did you use to paint them with? Acrylic, fabric pens or ___? Beautiful job!

They remind me of a pair of Peter Max (of Yellow Submarine fame) shoes I enjoyed and loved when I was in high school/college.
 
Thanks. I do try to pop in from time to time, but I just don't have the time to spend online anymore, at least if I don't want to shamefully neglect my young'uns.

Benisse, I used fabricmate markers - they are a fabric dye pen that can do really fine detail.

And I do sell them, but as they are not cheap, haven't had much interest yet. Can't help that - have to make it worth my time.
 
Favorite Wonderland/Looking Glass pix?

While driving around last week, I was listening to an outstanding audio performance of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass read by Christopher Plummer.

The words and descriptions are so unforgettable in Lewis Carroll's adventures with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. Although I was listening to the books this time, the timeless illustrations by Sir John Tenniel are what I was picturing. So this brings me to the question I'd like to hear from you all...

What is one of your favorite illustrations from either Wonderland or Looking Glass and why?
 
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