Alice in Wonderland

I took a break from Holy Week preparations to see “Alice in Wonderland” with my daughter, Hannah, at the Andover Theatre last night.

I never read the story by Lewis Carroll when I was younger. But a person can’t live too long without coming across some of the images of the book.

The story shared in the movie was fairly simple. Alice is 19 and on her way to being asked to be married by a very dull snob, played by Leo Bill. At the engagement party Alice spies a rabbit, chases it and falls down a tunnel to Underland—not Wonderland. Underland is being ruled by the cruel Queen, played by Helena Bonham Carter.

At Underland Alice encounters a number of characters—the White Rabbit, the Dormouse, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Chesire Cat, and, of course, the Mad Hatter, played by Johnny Depp.

After a number of adventures Alice travels to the Red Queen’s castle. After the Mad Hatter is saved from execution Alice travels back to the White Queen (played by Anne Hathaway), the Red Queen’s sister. A huge battle takes place between the White Queen and Red Queen’s armies. Alice kills the dreaded Jabberwocky, drinks its blood, is transported back to reality out of Underland, and refuses the engagement of her suitor.

Ho hum.

I found nothing remarkable about the movie. It didn’t help that I fell asleep for ten minutes in the middle, and that the movie suddenly stopped about half way through the story. We were forced to take a five minute intermission. I guess the technician was bored too. I appreciate and understand that mistakes happen; however I would have liked it if someone had told us what had happened and then informed us when the movie was going to start again.

On the ride home I asked Hannah her opinion of the movie. She gave it three stars out of five. She thought the movie was too serious—she wanted more humor.

Alice in Wonderland strikes me as a magical story. I wanted more magic.