Alice Through the Looking Glass continues Lewis Carroll’s fantastical world but with a Tim Burton makeover.While I wasn’t completely impressed with Alice in Wonderland, my expectations weren’t that high and on that level, this movie mostly works and is a slight improvement over its predecessor.
Mia Wasikowska is back as Alice, a boat captain traveling the world until she returns home to London. She’s reunited with Absolem (the late Alan Rickman) to let her know that things are bad in Wonderland. The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) has gone even madder than usual and it’s up to Alice to save the day.
Her mission, should she choose to accept it, is to find a device known as the Chromosphere that controls all time in Wonderland and is being held by the character of Time (Sacha Baron Cohen). Cohen’s performance is a welcome addition amongst the bizarre happenings and he fits perfectly.
The rest of the movie plays somewhat like a soap opera involving a glimpse into the Hatter’s past by revealing he has some daddy issues and the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) having sissy issues with the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). What this has to do with the plot is anyone’s guess, but okay.
Unlike the original film, Through the Looking Glass is busy almost to a fault with its elaborate time-travel subplots and too many new characters that it’s borderline impossible to keep track of who’s doing what. I think the screenwriter Linda Woovelton could’ve put about another half-hour’s worth of sand in their screenplay.
Having said all that, I’m actually surprised at myself for recommending on the basis of the visuals which do offer some stunning sights and also the plot is just coherent enough to keep it afloat.
The way I see it, if you loved Alice in Wonderland, set your expectations at about the same level. If you didn’t like the first one, well, then…you know. I was entertained. I was impressed. I was often amazed and by the end, I was just satisfied enough despite such chronic overload.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG for fantasy action/peril and some language.)
