Having failed to get into the BFI Imax to see this film on the big screen and in 3D (it was constantly fully booked) I made do with a trip to Richmond Odeon theatre – fuelled by some of the marvellous chocolate cake served at the Nando’s restaurant next door. Mind you, even a zillion calories wasn’t enough to keep me warm in what must be the country’s coldest cinema – it was freezing!
Trailers for forth coming 3D efforts looked good – I particularly liked that in the “How to train your dragon” the star looks reassuringly like Stitch from the Lilo and Stitch films. The “Legend of the Guardians” (all about owls) looked interesting too. My 12 year old daughter, who is a dance fanatic, looked like she may well drag me along to the imminent 3D dance movie which combines ballet and street dance and features reality TV favourites George Samson and Diversity.
Anyway. I put on my 3D specs and waited to be wowed by the main feature. And wowed I was. The cinematography is wonderful and I loved all the garden and forest scenes (reminiscent of Avatar) where the 3D comes into its own. In this version Alice is now 19 and about to be engaged to a rather dull Lord – but she remembers her dreams of Wonderland and follows that white rabbit all over again.
The “Drink me” and “Eat me” scene is pretty much as we remember (although her clothes don’t quite keep up – and the old blue pinafore is replaced by some rather more fashionable numbers – including a corsage a la Sarah Jessica Parker)…and her first few moments in the garden bring us back up to date with the flowers, the dormouse (Barbara Windsor) and the dulcet tones of Rick Wakeman as the blue caterpillar.
The Cheshire Cat is a masterpiece and only Stephen Fry could provide the voice for this character. Matt Lucas as the Red Queen’s (brilliantly played by Helena Bonham-Carter – who dominates proceedings with her fantastic acting) “Fat Boys” Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee provide laughs.
Anne Hathaway as the White Queen (with very dark eyebrows and lips that made her look like Francis De La Tour in the real life bit) was suitably floaty and girly. And Johnny Depp was charmingly mad as the Hatter – marvellous make up and costumes throughout. So overall I thought it was a triumph and both my 12 year old and my 18 year old agreed. Make sure you get along during the Easter holidays…
PS If I had very small people with me I might worry a bit about the early scene with a mouse plucking out the eye of a cat like monster with a pin. The playing card red knights and the final fight with the jabberwocky were a little scary too – although battling with dragons is a major obsession for most of the small people I know so should be OK.
