Alice Through the Looking Glass

What was my life like six years ago? I had two dogs. I moved to Modesto. I watched movies on the big screen. One of those many was Tim Burton and Disney's take on Alice in Wonderland, one of the last movies I saw that predated this blog. And now, Disney hopes moviegoers will go down the Rabbit Hole again for Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Tim Burton left Alice Kinsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) a triumphant woman. She slew the Jabberwock, saved Wonderland (aka 'Underland), and asserted her independence in the normal world. Burton gave the director's chair to James Bobin, who opens with Alice in trouble. Alice is a sea-captain commandeering her late father's ship on a voyage to China. On her return voyage, she boldly outwits Pirates during a storm.

Back in London, Alice finds herself under the employ of the snobbish Lord Hamish Ascot (Leo Bill). Ascot, the man whom Alice left at the Altar to go down the Rabbit Hole, orders her to give up her ship or her house. Alice promptly takes a third option: follow the Butterfly Absolem (Alan Rickman) into a mirror that takes her back to Wonderland.

The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) is off the deep end, even for him. He's convinced that his family, who were vaporized by the Jabberwock, are still alive. His despair is literally killing him. So Alice goes off on a quest to find MacGuffin #1951, which the movie calls the Chronosphere, to retcon the tragedy. Time himself (Sacha Baron Cohen) gives chase, while the Red Queen (Helena Bonham-Carter) wants some vengeance. Time itself, meanwhile, goes out of whack. And Alice's Adventures in Time make things worse.

The change in directors is noticeable right from the start. The film's color palette is brighter than the first film's. Its sets are a lot easier on the eyes than the first film's Oscar-winning production design. Whether it's digital, real or real with digital enhancements, the work by production designer Dan Hennah amazes through out. Costume designer Colleen Atwood, who won the first film's other Oscar, comes back for the sequel. Her work is made more splendorous than usual thanks to the color palette.

While some may appreciate the new color palette, others may still accuse the film, like its predecessor, of putting style over substance. I found some substance that kept me through its 116 minutes. Danny Elfman's score is another memorable entry for his filmography. Alice's Wonderland friends, specifically the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), are funny and charming in their own weird ways. The Red Queen is given a sad backstory that makes one actually pity her. While Time himself is initially presented as an over-the-top villain, we see why he's actually necessary for universal functionality. It also helps that he's a likable antagonist.

Alice Through the Looking Glass was a pretty good belated sequel. The whimsical characters and tone are intact even with the new color palette. It's bound to please fans of the first film and infuriate the non-fans just the same. I find it better than the first film thanks to the aforementioned stuff. And even if Alice's adventures are done, Disney's fairy tale re-does aren't yet over. Their latest re-do, Beauty and the Beast, comes next March.