Today's Ypulse Youth Advisory Board review comes from Alyx who took in the latest twisted fairy tale to get the Tim Burton treatment — "Alice in Wonderland." Remember, you can communicate directly with any member of the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board by emailing them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com…or just leave a comment below!

YAB Review: 'Alice In Wonderland'

What was the biggest draw for you to see this movie?
Isn’t it obvious? Tim Burton! He is a master genius when it comes to creating new creepy worlds. Sometimes I love his work, and sometimes it freaks me out, but either way, it’s usually worth checking out. Also, two of Tim’s (and my) favorite actors were in this project—Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. He’s worked with these two fine actors on multiple projects, and it usually happens to make great films.

What did you expect going in?
This film has been gaining hype since the moment the first trailer came out  a long while back. By now, it was bound to be a huge phenomenon, even if the movie turned out to be a flop. The trailer looked so good that I just could not wait for it to come out. I expected this to be the next big Disney hit like “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

All I knew about the plot was simply that it was a continuation of the first Alice in Wonderland movie. To refresh my memory, I watched the original on YouTube (illegally), only to realize that I cannot stand it. It is the most wacky, pointless film Disney has ever created, and so I deeply hoped that the new (and hopefully improved) Alice movie would stay true to its literary roots.

Describe your moviegoing experience
I get to the theater early expecting a gaggle of fanatics lining up hours in advance, only to find a small line inside, waiting patiently for the film. “Maybe the fanatics bought their tickets online and are still getting dressed up in costume to come to the movie,” I thought to myself. But as it came closer and closer to show time, only a few more came (unfortunately, none dressed in full Mad Hatter attire). By the time the movie started, the theater was only three-quarters full. A handful of the viewers were teens (such as myself), and the others were mainly adults. I guess it was the 9 p.m. showing, and so all the kids might have gone earlier, but still…. I expected more.

Sum It Up
This film is almost like a sequel to the original Disney classic. Alice has returned to Wonderland (even though, for some reason, she mispronounced it originally and we now learn the world is actually called Underland) through yet another rabbit hole. Everything seems strikingly similar, but before she has time to put the pieces together, she is attacked by the Queen of Heart’s card soldiers and beast. Next, through a series of long (sometimes seemingly pointless) string of events, she meets the Mad Hatter (who for some reason doesn’t seem all that mad to me). He is soon captured and Alice takes it upon herself to rescue him, and in turn, lets her predetermined destiny take charge (which seems so very un-Alice like).

What did you walk out of the theater thinking?
So here’s the deal—I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. It was definitely no “Pirates.” To me, it just seemed like a typical adaptation of a children’s film (which I guess it was supposed to be). Nothing happened within the film to make me think it was meant for adults. The characters were bland. They were molded by the actions they made, not by emotions or relationships. It was a plot-based film, which is fine, except when you go in thinking it’ll be more than just that (call it the Burton factor). Alice did not stand out in any way shape or form, as well as the Mad Hatter (surprisingly). On the other hand, the Queen of Hearts stole my heart. She can chop my head off any time, for she was truly delightful to watch (always the pleasure Helena Bonham Carter). A big positive though, was that it was visually stunning. Not as much as “Avatar,” but good enough. The 3D, however, didn’t particicularly impress me this time around, but oh well. Disney will eventually learn to get it right just like everyone else in the movie making business. Anywho, “Alice in Wonderland” is a fun-filled movie that will whisk you away for couple hours into a wonderful world, and thankfully, this time you don’t have to be as mad as a hatter to understand the meaning behind the plot.

About Alyx

Alyx Steadman is a sophomore in high school in Montana, and loves every minute of it. He loves reading, writing, acting, singing, and being a social butterfly. In the past people have accused him of being a YouTube addict and a pop culture junkie (and sadly Alyx cannot deny these accusations). His love for teen culture has led him to many hours slaving on the computer soaking up every piece of drama Hollywood has to offer. In the future he hopes to pursue a writing career as some type of journalist. Excited doesn’t even begin to cover how he’s feeling to be in the Ypulse Advisory Board.

Categorized under: Movies & Music, Youth Advisory Board

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