Alice is the child of British royalty, who longs to escape the stuffy world she resides within. She is proposed to by a dorky lord she has no interest in, when she sees a rabbit wearing clothing scamper by. She follows him down a rabbit hole, and she finds herself transported to an entirely different world, full of colors and fantasy. However, this isn't all fun and games like Dorothy's arrival in Oz; there's a sense of menace lurking around the corner. Apparently, the Red Queen, a vicious ruler who loves nothing more than cutting off people's heads, rules this land, and the benevolent White Queen has been in hiding. The creatures have been waiting for Alice to return, as a prophecy has stated she is destined to kill the Red Queen's most feared weapon, a giant dragon called the Jabberwock. Alice doesn't know how to fight, nor does she remember being in Wonderland at all, so she is afraid everyone has mistaken her for someone else. Suddenly, many of the creatures who greeted her are taken by the minions of the Red Queen, so Alice feels compelled to wander about looking for help in retrieving them, and she comes across the Mad Hatter, who fills her in fully on the horrors the Red Queen is capable of. When the Mad Hatter allows himself to be captured in order to save Alice, Alice must find her way to the Red Queen's castle, locate a magical sword that can kill the Jabberwock, and accomplish the deed she was destined to carry out.
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Best part of story, including ending:
As a fan of the original book, it takes great liberties with the story without actually adding any level of intrigue. Plus, the color palate and the abundance of special effects make the screen ugly.
Best scene in story:
Johnny Depp is a gifted performer, so his presence as the Mad Hatter is a welcome one whenever he strolls across the screen, but he is the sole highlight of the film.
Opinion about the main character:
Wasikowska is not a terribly expressive actress, and the script does Alice no favors, so our hero is not terribly credible-- we certainly don't believe she can kill a dragon.
