Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” is finally here! Filled with colourful characters, fantastical scenery and adventure galore, Burton’s take on Lewis Carroll’s classic is well worth the wait. In 3-D, the film takes the Mad Hatter’s tea party to a new level, far surpassing anything that even Carroll himself could have imagined.

Rather than make yet another film about the little girl who falls down the rabbit hole, Burton extends Carroll’s version to a 19-year-old Alice. Alice Kingsley, a young rebellious woman who refuses to wear a corset, attends a garden party at an estate due to her mother’s insistence. Alice is scatter-brained and imaginative, which certainly are not qualities appreciated  in women during the Victorian era. Despite this, a marriage proposal has been arranged, and when the suitor kneels before Alice, she bolts, following a little white rabbit.

The rabbit, wearing a waistcoat and pocket watch, leads Alice down a rabbit hole. In 3-D, the effect is both dazzling and mind-bending. Alice enters the world of Underland, or, as the creatures living there call it, “Wonderland.” The white rabbit had been sent to retrieve Alice, the Alice, the young girl who had visited 10 years ago; but this Alice does not remember Wonderland, and the creatures debate whether this is the same person.

Alice is brought to Wonderland to slay a dragon, and, thus, defeat the wicked Red Queen. The dragon, Jabberwock, is vicious and gargantuan, and Alice pleads with the creatures that she could never kill anything, even if she wanted to. Alice’s adventure in Wonderland leads her to the Jabberwock, making friends and enemies along the way, and forces her to be strong, independent and confident. The film is a visual treat and with a strong female heroine, it sends a great message to youngsters.

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