I was reading through the condensed (and I clear: Wikipedia) explanation of Alice in Wonderland (not due to the movie, mind you), and although the literature has yet to give me the required headaches, the elucidations and science of Lewis Carroll’s rather tamely subversive literature successfully elicited headaches out of poor old moi. Ask why.

(because they’re all about freaking math. I kid you not.)

Although it satisfies me that at least it still has a little of wicked fun in the Wonderland context (much to Matrix’s follow the rabbit/down the rabbit hole) and people theorizing that the rabbit hole is in fact a hallucinatory state, it’s curious to note that a lot of Alice’s symbolisms and theoretical ramblings were left out in the movie version which, our beloved Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter (she still scares me, but I love her) are on, directed by Tim Burton. Whilst our written Alice is stumbling down wonderland on E, Alice the live-action version is going around wonderland battling with her own concept of maturity versus reality, ultimately following her father’s footsteps in embracing that, in fact, people may be deemed mad by most, but they’re the geniuses who make the impossible possible.

It is also interesting that Alice is seen to be returning to Wonderland now being 19 years old, and has had recollections of wonderland back as a kid. This time she gets a surprise marriage proposal, and after she backs out, she stumbles upon Wonderland in a creepy de ja vu, convincing herself that everything is a dream—her recurring dreams, in fact—while convincing everyone and herself of who she is and what her ultimate role is. While it shows that she is encountering everyone almost for the first time again, therefore providing a different twist of familiarity and vagueness, leaving the audience to think that although it’s almost like the story they know, even if it’s not the story they loved. This whole refreshing twist without fully changing it still compensates for the yearning of the original Alice in Wonderland, therefore completely offsetting the contrast versus the written context, as this is no longer the Alice in Wonderland we really know, but maybe an unwitting sequel to the story.

I have got to reluctantly give another kudos to Tim Burton—he was able to pull this off again. Although I am far from tired from seeing the Burton-Depp-Carter tandem yet again (a package deal, of course), it’s a relief to find that they didn’t leave out the other characters pale, in fact making them step up to the plate. Mia Wasikowska may seem reluctant but brave for the 19 year old Alice, and Anne Hathaway was splendidly…err…spacing out. A disappointment was the lack of character for the Cheshire Cat, though, which would have given more color to the rest of the 3D cast anyhow.

All in all, not bad. Watch it 3D or not, the movie in itself was ostentatious as for the colors. And, well. We all love Tim Burton.

PS. Speaking of which—Cass and I were discussing the possibilities of a Neil Gaiman story converted in to a Tim Burton movie—the Graveyard. Wouldn’t it be lovely? Johnny Depp as Mr Frost, Helena Bonham Carter as Ms. Lupescu, and maybe Freddie Highmore [he’s spooky enough anyway] as Bod. Would work, don’t you think? Tss. Maybe we ought to consider a new career in casting.

PSS. Happy birthday, Marla. I love you lots. *hug* Bakit di ka man lang sa date na ito nag last day?