Splatter: on FILM

The first cast, Johnny Depp included, reunites to bring peace and stability back to Wonderland and to help the Hatter find his lost family despite the tricks and ploys of the wicked Queen of Hearts. Only Alice, the outsider with faith, teachability, and insight can muster the time-space travel, beg Mr. Time for help, and fix the past that threatens to ruin the future.Story-wise, it works. Visually, it’s an artistic masterpiece. The actors who play Lewis Carroll’s magical literary characters personify whimsy.  Bringing cartoon graphics to life, this film honors the imagination of the original author while inventing new lovable characters and rescuing old favorites.  Alice admits to being older on this visit. They almost expect it as time is the incessant motif.  The film moves like a clock, an almost obnoxious pace and overload of visual imagery unless viewers enter aware of and expecting it. The Narnian quest becomes more like a hero’s journey in that she works to save the wonder world she loves, and in the process she discovers her own value and freedom from grief.