Alice in Wonderland

There have been many versions of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland made for the screens over the past hundred-odd years; from black and white movies, to animated feature length films, to the recent Syfy channel's 2009 miniseries. While each is a masterpiece in it's own right, it seems that the book was waiting for someone extraordinarily special to come along and breathe new life into the clasic story.
Enter Tim Burton.
Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll seem to be made for each other, like peanut butter and honey, like Rubik's cubes and chess players. I couldn't see any other director giving the story the unique vision it deserves. Michael Bay? Pfft.
With an adapted screenplay by Linda Woolverton, who has written a number of Disney feature's prior to Alice, Burton creates pure 3D magic.
The film is set twelve years after young Alice first set foot in Wonderland, actually it's called Underland. Our now nineteen year old Alice (Aussie Mia Wasikowska) falls down that same rabbit hole again but this time has no memory of ever visiting Underland. Instead, she thinks it's just a dream she had and keeps pinching herself to wake up.
Burton's creation has a cast to rival any Harry Potter film, perhaps all of them put together! Long time collaborator Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, wife Helen Bonham-Carter as the bulbous headed Red Queen, my favourite Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat, Matt Lucas as both Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Marton Csokas (mmmm) a Alice's dad. And I'm so happy to see Crispin Glover on screen again. It seems like ages! For those who haven't yet seen Willard (and don't have a rat phobia) check it out. You might also remember Glover as Marty Fly's bumbling dad, George in Back To The Future and 'creepy thin guy' from the Charlies' Angels reboots. Glover, plays the rather elongated Stayne, Knave of Hearts, devoted servant to the Red Queen. Voice actors included Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall; Christopher Lee even lends his voice to the big nasty Jabberwocky! Everyone was just perfect.
Burton has created a truly wondrous land. It must have been quite a task to add to Carroll's already brilliant book, but Burton came up trumps. There's so many quirky little things going on on the screen; I loved the little monkeys that held up the furniture, the way the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) floated around the room so gracefully all the time. And those haunting, twisted trees, those trademark Burton-esque trees were just magnificent. I do hope someone names a tree species after him! The costumes were exquisite and compliment Burton's unique vision perfectly.
This was quite a magical experience, though I probably wouldn't take small children to see it, there were a few scary bits, decapitations and eye-pluckings!
Things I learnt: Johnn Depp can dance way better than any Oompa Loompa, if you give someone their eye back they'll be your best mate, always carry around a variety of different sized clothes, just in case.
Make sure you see it in 3D!
Seven out of ten.