As you watch the beginning of "Alice in Wonderland", pay close attention to the guests at the tea party. You might notice Martin Short and his companion, a man placing two buns atop his head as if he were, say, a March Hare. Notice also the man flirting with the woman at the end-you could almost call him a scurvy Knave. But enough with the plays on words. This version of "Alice in Wonderland" was exceedingly well done. From the moment Alice falls down the rabbit hole to the moment she catches the apple, we are spellbound by the fantasy the film has woven for us. Part of its appeal is its satirical notions. Consider the "caucus race", where everyone is cheating. Cynics of politics might agree with this. There is also the trial at the end, where the evidence is as insubstantial as a house of cards. One needs to watch the film or read the novel many times to pick up all of the references!
I enjoyed watching Alice's transformation from stage fright child to confident young girl. It was a continuing thread that helped the story attain a greater level of continuity. Yet the most entertaining portions of the film were those with Martin Short, Miranda Richardson, and Gene Wilder, to name a few. They held nothing back, which magnified the absurdities of their characters to the nth degree. Lastly, the featuring of the tea party at the beginning of the film and the end helped tie it together. A well done film.
I adore the original novels "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass", but this straight-to-TV movie just didn't work for me. Rather than just simply go through Wonderland and enjoy the ride, we have to have a rather contrived moral added on, as well as all these messages encouraging self-esteem. Often, certain scenes drag on for what seems like forever; there's none of the trademark irreverence that the books have. My advice: If you like the books, and don't want to be bogged down, stick to the Disney version. This one is just not true to the spirit of "Alice in Wonderland".
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