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A wise lady told me earlier that during press and gala screenings of movies, the less free stuff they give you, the better the movie is. So when I entered the movie theatre to see Disney’s Alice through the Looking Glass and saw just a little bag of popcorn and a carton of juice, I knew I was in for a slice of movie gold. This isn’t to say that Disney are stingy because they treated me more than enough with the movie itself, it’s to say that they were confident that their movie isn’t crap which is what I like to see.
The first of Tim Burton’s adaptations of Lewis Carroll’s story of a girl’s magical journey down a rabbit hole into a fantastical world set the bar for this sequel pretty high. Alice in Wonderland was brilliant and I rank it almost as highly as Disney’s animated original which holds a special place in my cold, dead heart. Alice through the Looking Glass had some pretty big shoes to fill, and it did not disappoint.
From the very beginning it was stunning and all up in my face, and not just because of the surprisingly well done 3D effects. Usually I hate 3D because it’s usually unnecessary and gives me migraines, so as I was already rocking a mild hangover after a super Eurovision party, I was ready to leave the cinema clutching my head. Clutching my head is not something I was doing though – I was beaming from ear to ear. The 3D was executed perfectly and absolutely added to the feel and experience of the film.
I need a moment to scream about the visuals of this movie. They trumped their predecessor easily. Everything was so colourful and so in place. It was on point! Everything from the Time Castle’s exterior to the inside of the Red Queen’s palace (which was made of roots for some reason) was absolutely stunning! And the final scene blew my mind! I’m not posting any spoilers but when you see the movie you’ll know what I mean. It takes over the entire world and is crazy to look at but so satisfying and beautiful. Even if the movie was crap I’d still say go and see it just for that scene. It was a masterpiece!
The cast were amazing as well: Mia Wasikowska delivering Alice perfectly again and Johnny Depp’s phenomenal Mad Hatter bringing the spark and story to the movie. And Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen absolutely stole the show with her presence. Also, I need to give a shout out to Lindsay Duncan as Alice’s mother, Helen Kingsleigh, for her total shutdown of Hamish at the end of the movie – queen!
Sacha Baron Cohen was the Clyde to Helena’s Bonnie in the movie, playing time itself in humanoid form. I was a little sceptical because I’m not his greatest fan as an actor but he’s been surprising me lately and this movie only added to it. He was delightful as the caretaker of the chronosphere, and his army of robot assistants were hilarious to see as well! They can definitely stay.
Disney, I’m tipping my hat to you. You did good. This movie is a roaring success and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The colours, the costumes, the performances, the effects and the whole feel and atmosphere of the movie make it a fun, hugely entertaining and super impressive spectacle that I will implore any readers to go see. It was awesome!
Alice through the Looking Glass is released in cinemas across the UK on 27 May.
