I am a great fan of Tim Burton. I’ve seen virtually all of his films so far. He is a visionary – an artist that makes full use of the facilities that film provides to present his art. Whether it be live action, stop motion animation, 2D, or 3D, Burton’s films are visual eye candy and his stories hugely engaging.
I remember watching the evolution of the Oompa Loompas at MPC, the production artwork and the temporary music tracks used by the animators to bring Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to life. The end result was even more magical than I could have imagined. Despite being spoilt by the ending of the Corpse Bride (an occupational hazard of working at a post production facility), the Corpse Bride was a gothic treat that combined everything that I loved about Nightmare Before Christmas (which still rates as one of my all time favourite musicals) with the gothic world. Sweeney Todd was a treat on the ears and eyes as the blood flowed. Big Fish makes me cry every time towards the end, such as is the excellence of the actors, the script and direction.
In short: Burton knows how to make great films.
I approached Wonderland with some trepidation. This was going to be his biggest (and perhaps most commercial – Batman aside – live action, visual-effects filled) film to date. The trailers present an all-too-artificial world where green screen rules and story and performance is sidelined over the visuals.
But I was wrong. So wrong.
Alice in Wonderland is a beautiful film. The story is fun, well-paced, and features all the characters one expects from the Lewis Caroll original. And how! The Wonderland characters are exceptionally performed in voice and through CG animation and one tends to forget you’re looking at a film that’s shot primarily on green screen (as with Avatar). Notable performances from Johnny Depp who, as always, is on top form. Helena Botham Carter as the Red Queen is simply stunning. Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat is wonderful. I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of Christopher Lee as the voice of the Jabberwock.
What perhaps lets the film down slightly was Danny Elfman’s music, which sounded at times, very similar to that of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I am very fond of his work, so was a bit disappointed with the outcome. It is nonetheless a score I could listen to again and again, but that comparison with his earlier work will always be in my mind.
3D. I’m beginning to think this is nothing more than an expensive trick to get more bums on seats. It wasn’t too bad with Robert Zemeckis’ A Christmas Carol. It wasn’t bad with Avatar. But with Alice in Wonderland, I found it had no practical use whatsoever. What I really dislike with the current 3D systems is that the colours come out exceptionally dull. This negates the work of the colour grader who spends an enormous amount of time colour correcting and grading depending on what the story (and director) dictates. I found my left eye becoming unfocused at times and took time for it refocus. For this, cinemas charge more money (but given the recent introduction of digital projection systems, this is not entirely unjustified). I look forward to seeing Alice in glorious 2D when it hits Blu-Ray later this year.
Alice in Wonderland is an exceptionally fun film, and I’d have to say that whatever Burton does next, it’s going to take some beating to improve on the visuals of Wonderland.
