Trailer Rating: 5 bites [out of 5]
Check out the new trailer above. I was already excited about this film, but now that we get a greater sense of the direction Tim Burton and co. are taking, I’m all the more psyched to see it! [more thoughts after the jump]
The first teaser gave us a sense of the visuals and tone; now, we see the story this version will try to tell, and it look like a perfect approach. I think Tim Burton was born to bring Wonderland to the screen—his penchant for quirky darkness, but one that’s always imbued with some kooky humor and warmth, is a natural fit for the world of Lewis Carroll. He’s become an excellent storyteller over the years, and I think he could capture the whimsical tone of the original story and, at the same time, give it a fresh dose of heart. Also, in watching this trailer, it’s clear that the Burton and screenwriter Linda Woolverton (one of the hands behind The Lion King and Mulan) are attempting to give us a full-fledged narrative, a real first for this material. In my mind, that’s a very good thing—exactly what this material needs to give it a novel spin. And, thus, we’re getting a quasi-sequel—Alice comes back to Wonderland, not remembering a thing, and it’s up to her to end the Red Queen’s (a deliciously evil Helena Bonham-Carter) brand of "off with people's heads" tyranny. All of the Wonderland heavy-hitters are here: Stephen Fry’s The Cheshire Cat, The March Hare, The White Rabbit (voiced by Michael Sheen), Alan Rickman’s mushroom-smoking Caterpillar (who's not in the trailer, but you can see him on the movie-theater posters), and, of course, Johnny Depp, Tim Burton’s partner-in-quirky-crime, with an all-out-wonderfully-wacky take on the Mad Hatter.
On another note, I know it looks like they’re rejiggering the original story, potentially throwing out what made the original so special, but I don't think that's the case. Here’s the thing: for all the fond memories we have of Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, I think it’s the world we love. It’s the characters, each battier than the next, the lovingly nonsensical details, and that playful, well, weirdness that populates the whole work. Reading it, we’re a lot like Alice—we’re curious and adventurous, and we’re soaking up the details. It works on the page, thanks to Carroll’s imagination and clever wordplay, his great eye for the wonderful and odd. But it honestly has no arc for Alice—she goes on a tour, and comes out pretty much the same. Much like us, she enjoys the ride…but that’s not a film. And I think that’s where previous adaptations stumbled, even the enjoyable 60's Disney animated version. Here, it looks like Alice has a role to play, an actual purpose--just look at her bravely leading Anne Hathaway's White Queen's army! For once, going down that Rabbit Hole looks to be a wholly new experience, a substantial journey for both Alice and us, the audience. And I can’t wait to see what Tim Burton and his team of visual wizards cook up.
Alice in Wonderland hits theaters on March 5, 2010—it can’t come soon enough!
P.S. If you guys get the chance, try to catch the 3-D version of the trailer, now playing before prints of James Cameron's Avatar. If ever a movie needed an extra dimension, it's this one--just wait until you see the loopy Wonderland in full 3-D insanity!
What do you guys think? Like the trailer? Agree/disagree with my take?
Clip courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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