“One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.”
— Lewis Carroll
Disney’s newest feature Alice Through the Looking Glass is based on author Lewis Carroll’s book Through the Looking-Glass, the sequel to the timeless tale Alice in Wonderland. While I was familiar with the first story, admittedly I didn’t remember much about it other than the familiar faces of the characters from Disney’s animated version of Alice in Wonderland, which I hadn’t seen since I was little. The animated version, which was released in 1951 was never one of my favorite Disney movies, and wasn’t one of the “must-haves” that were added to my daughter’s Disney movie collection.
When Alice in Wonderland was released in March of 2010, I never ended up seeing it even though Johnny Depp, who I’ve loved ever since he starred on 21 Jump Street, played the Mad Hatter. My daughter was only two years old when it was released, and if my husband and I were lucky enough to have a date night back then, we certainly weren’t going to see a Disney movie together.
Now that our daughter Addie is in third grade however, we are all about family friendly movies. As soon as Addie saw the preview for Alice Through the Looking Glass, she told me she wanted to see it, and she was eagerly counting down the days until its release.
Our little family of three went to see it together, but gave the film mixed reviews. We all agreed that the scenery and special effects were astounding.
Mia Wasikowska was completely charming as Alice, a headstrong young lady who believes that nothing is impossible. She has a pure heart, and would do anything for her truest friend Hatter.
Depp’s character Hatter Hightopp is delightfully eccentric. His facial expressions, paired with incredible makeup, and his whispered falsetto voice leave no traces of his famous role as Captain Jack Sparrow from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean series. It is Hatter’s family heartache that sends Alice off on another adventure of a lifetime.
Anne Hathaway plays Queen Mirana and Helena Bonham Carter plays Mirana’s sister Iracebeth, the Queen of Hearts. The visual effects used to create Carter’s giant heart-shaped head were as impressive as her top-notch acting. Hathaway’s character, who plays a minor role compared with that of Carter’s, has a longtime regret, and viewers learn why the rift between the pair of sisters is so deep and why the Red Queen is so cross.
Sacha Baron Cohen is Time. He gave the most commanding performance in the film. His character’s unwillingness to give of himself (time) was humorous, but he still pulled off being the “bad guy” perfectly.
What did we think of Alice Through the Looking Glass? Addie loved the movie, and said she doesn’t think it will be too scary for her younger cousins, who are both five years old. She said, “It felt like such a cool adventure!” My husband, on the other hand, commented that the film felt slow at times. He pointed out that the only other woman seated in our row fell asleep and was even snoring, noting that he obviously liked it more than she did. Personally I thought the movie was magical. I think if Lewis Carroll was alive today, a proud tear of joy would trickle down his cheek as he watched the jabberwocky unfurl itself on the big screen. Since the books Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have themes which are so focused on the concept of time, I believe Carroll would appreciate that the best part of the movie was simply spending time together as a family.
For movie times click here.
Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Director: James Bobin
Actors: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Sacha Baron Cohen
Rating: PG for fantasy action/peril and some language
Running Time: 1 hour 53 minutes
