Alice

Impressions before seeing it
I think I stumbled on this movie while browsing around blu-ray.com, and then when I checked out the trailer I was delighted to see a lot of stop-motion animation with a slightly creepy edge to it.

How was it?
My problem with Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland is that he didn't care about the original story (I don't think he ever does when doing adaptations/remakes). Not only does Czech director Jan Svankmajer care about Lewis Carroll's book, but judging by his film he understands it. Alice doesn't contain much logic or any moral lessons, and there are creepy, sinister, slightly adult undertones running through it, and that is what the book is. Watching this movie just made me dislike Tim Burton's version more because it did a much better job in 1988 than Burton did in 2010 with a way bigger budget, cast, and special effects.

The reason Svankmajer's adaptation is so brilliant is not just because it maintains the tone and spirit of the book, but because it actually managed to make the story fresh and unique. I've read the book and seen other movie adaptations, but watching this I was never bored and never knew what was coming next. The word "Wonderland" is noticeably absent from the title, and that's because in this version, Alice doesn't visit a strange, magical land. Instead, she is cranking her imagination/dreams up to 11 on a boring afternoon around the house. This is cleverly indicated by the sets, characters, and props, all made from things found around the house, and at certain points in the movie you can tell when Alice has wandered into, say, the garden shed or the pantry. Also omni-present is the same wooden desk with the drawer handle that always pops off; Alice may have an imagination, but it's limited to what she can find in the house. All of the creatures come to life in stop-motion animation, including Alice herself at times: whenever she shrinks, she becomes the doll used at the beginning of the movie to represent herself. I'm a big fan of stop-motion so I loved that aspect. Some of it was funny in a weirdly charming way, and some of it was a tad disturbing, but not alarmingly so - and, again, that's what makes it faithful to the book. And it didn't even have the fan favourite Cheshire cat, but many other characters and scenes are present.

Recommendation
I had more fun watching this than I thought I would (I was a little worried it might be too weird even for me), and can say it is the best adaptation of Alice in Wonderland I've ever seen. Or at least the most unique one. Fans should check it out, because this movie needs to be more well known.

Alice in Wonderland (In Glorious 3D!)

Impressions before seeing it
The 3D trailer before Avatar was impressive, Tim Burton usually does interesting things visually, and I'm always up for some fantasy. I was also curious about the story since I'd heard that it is about a 19 year-old Alice's return to Wonderland rather than the traditional first time visit of other adaptations.

How was it?
I know this isn't going to be a popular opinion, but I had a couple of problems with Alice in Wonderland. Now, I have read the original story by Lewis Carroll, and my impression of Wonderland from the book is that it is a world of nonsense and very little to no structure or reason to anything. So why on earth would they, in the movie, have a clearly laid out prophecy on a scroll, thus giving a reason for Alice's presence there and a motive for all of the supposedly crazy characters? I suppose it's a matter of artistic difference, because if I were doing an Alice adaptation it would be completely bonkers and not have much structure or point to it, which admittedly might not make a very good movie but at least it would be more like the book and better capture the overall spirit of Wonderland. This is merely my own opinion and I understand if no one else on the planet agrees with it, so for that reason it's not really a big flaw but a personal gripe.

My other problem is that, like Avatar, I felt that it had some cliche "blockbuster" moments. Maybe I shouldn't go into detail about what they are, being that I saw it on opening night and it's too early for spoilers, but there were too many times where I should have been amazed but wasn't because it felt familiar - and not because it's an adaptation.

But I can't say that I disliked it, I was merely disappointed. On a positive note, there was a lot of really strong character acting from the entire cast, and some very cool visuals (the 3D technology was more stunning in Avatar, but more money was probably spent on that so it's forgivable), and as a whole I still had fun watching it. I was just hoping Tim Burton would understand the source material better.

Recommendation
I doubt most people will have the same problems with it that I did, so go and see it. You'll have fun.