Alice in Auckland

The new Tim Burton-directed Disney's Alice in Wonderland 3D opened in Auckland on 3rd March with a dress-up screening at Sky City IMAX complete with MORE FM DJs as Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee and rabbit cupcakes for all.

We loved the costumes handmade by this daughter and her mum as Queen of Hearts.

It got "curiouser and curiouser" watching the Queen of Hearts queuing up to buy popcorn though!

MORE FM DJs Jesse Mulligan, Joe Cotton and Jeremy Corbett welcomed guests and introduced the movie.

And what of the film?

It wasn't as dark as I had expected. Tim Burton pulled it back whenever it could have gotten scary and apart from a few scenes (walking over trapped heads in the castle moat, eating a frog's tadpoles on toast) it was all "Off with their heads!" done in good fun, by evil Red Queen Helena Bonham Carter.

Johnny Depp was fabulous as the green eyed, red haired Mad Hatter and it suited him down to the ground.

White Queen Anne Hathaway looked amazing in her (albeit slightly bridal) white dress and dark lips and nails but had an odd floaty-hand walk that was frankly distracting and laughable.

The actress playing Alice, Australian-born Mia Wasikowska, was new to me and did a stand up job. Her costumes were a particular highlight for me from a fashion standpoint; with couture gowns all in shades of her Alice blue that cleverly changed as she grew or shrunk.

The story had Alice returning to Under Land (or 'Wonderland' as she had mistakenly called it) as an adult running from a bad marriage proposal and having to face her demons - or Jabberwocky slaying. In Wonderland she learns more of her self identity and returns to make some life decisions.

Not as much was made of the 3D capabilities as I'd hoped- particularly after seeing Avatar where it was done so well - but it was a lush and rich screen full of fantasy and colour.

Gentle humour was provided by Matt Lucas as Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee. Other stars in disguise included Stephen Fry as Cheshire Cat, Martin Sheen as White Rabbit, Alan Rickman as Blue Caterpillar, Crispin Glover as Stayne, Barbara Windsor as Dormouse and New Zealand actor Marton Csokas as Charles Kingsleigh.

So, why is a raven like a writing desk? Perhaps "because there's a B in both and an N in neither."

7/10

By Megan Robinson, 3 March 2010.