‘Alice in Wonderland’

“How is a raven like a writing desk?”
This was the question the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) asked throughout Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.”
Shown in digital 3-D, the movie offers a new adventure in the already famous Wonderland. Rather than twisting the original story, this plot takes place years later with a new Alice (Mia Wasikowska).
Wonderland has fallen into despair under the rule of the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), and the creatures of Wonderland need Alice’s help in restoring peace as well as the White Queen’s (Anne Hathaway) throne.
The problem is The White Rabbit, sent by the Hatter to retrieve Alice, manages to return with wrong girl.
This is a new take on a well-known story. But there is darkness within the movie that tells the audience this isn’t the happy story of a girl finding her way home.
Though the tale is less gleeful, there is some humor as well. The Hatter provides many examples of why he is considered “mad.”
The majority of the characters have been digitally altered. The most obvious is the Red Queen, whom has a head three times larger than the rest of her body.
There are more subtle changes as well. For example, the Hatter’s appearance is mostly made up make-up and wigs, but movie-goers will also notice his right pupil is larger than his left one.
Over all, this is an excellent movie with unique ideas and scenery that’s unmatched.
It’s a must-see movie for almost all ages; it’s suggested small children avoid it due to several fight scenes.
Everyone else will just have to see it to learn how a raven is like a writing desk!

— Hannah Souers is a sophomore at West Valley High School and a member of the Herald-Republic’s Unleashed journalism program for high school students.