 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
- PG
- Genre: Fantasy
- 2010
Common Sense Media says
All-new 3-D Alice story is trippy and intense.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland might be rated PG, but it's pretty intense and scary at times for younger kids, especially because it's in 3-D. This trippy adaptation -- in which Alice is a young adult -- includes some fantasy violence with scary monsters that attack people, a cruel Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) who frequently sentences people to death, and a climactic battle scene between sword-brandishing humans, animals, and beasts. Some parents might want to know that a caterpillar (played by Alan Rickman) smokes a hookah, but this is as Lewis Carroll depicted the character. The language includes taunting insults like "stupid," "imbecile," "idiot," "bloody," and the like, and the sexuality is limited to one kiss between a married man and another woman and some aggressive flirting.
What's the story?
As the story opens, Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) is seven and a half and admits to her father that she thinks she's gone around the bend because she keeps dreaming about falling down a rabbit hole into another world. Thirteen years later, a now fatherless 19-year-old Alice finds herself being publicly proposed to until she excuses herself to run away and winds up following a rabbit -- you got it -- down a hole that leads to Underland, a magical place where she's asked again and again if she's THE Alice. Her new acquaintances, who include a white rabbit (voiced by Stephen Fry), a Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), a chain-smoking caterpillar (Alan Rickman), and roly poly twins Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (Matt Lucas), reveal that if she IS the "right" Alice, she's destined to slay the evil Jabberwocky (Christopher Lee), defeat the bloodthirsty, big-headed Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), and restore the peace-loving White Queen (Anne Hathaway) to power. To do the seemingly impossible, Alice must accept that Underland isn't a figment of her imagination and fulfill her destiny.
Is it any good?
Lewis Carroll purists will scoff at the aging of his curious young protagonist, but then again, purists are incredibly difficult to please. Not so with most movie audiences, who, coming down from the dazzling landscapes of the 3-D universe James Cameron conjures in Avatar will be treated to yet another colorful world that makes the glasses worth putting on, for a change. Tim Burton's Alice doesn't have the wide-eyed wonder of the seven-year-old Alice, because well, she's a bit jaded and thinks her adventures in the offbeat land are just part of an elaborate dream from which she'll eventually awaken. It's her second time to Underland ("Wonderland" is what her silly younger self apparently called it), but she can't remember her earlier adventure. The story does seem, as other critics have suggested, a bit too similar to the search for the One True Ring, but so what? A nearly 20-year-old doesn't need a chess game and nursery rhymes, she needs a purpose to propel her courage. So that's what screenwriter Linda Wolverton provided the older Alice -- a way to discover her true nature in a mad, mad world.
Wasikowska is a golden-haired vision (she looks like a young combination of Cate Blanchett and Gwyneth Paltrow) of adolescent girl power. She doesn't need to be affianced to a stuffy, weak-chinned "Lord," and she's spectacularly brave while remaining a subtle, soft-spoken, self-assured young woman. What's so charming about the story is that Alice is like the wise caterpillar, about to transform into something else entirely. Even the cold-hearted Red Queen isn't purely evil. Her (literal) big-headedness has made her awfully insecure, and because of that she delights in inflicting pain on others. Bonham Carter is, as always, brilliant as the petty and jealous sovereign who really just wants to cuddle up with her head henchman Stayne (Crispin Glover, obviously delighting in playing the creep again). And then there's Depp, who at this point must share half a brain with Burton. His Hatter is bonkers all right, but he's also funny, self-sacrificial, and courageous. There's no one else who could've played the part, because Depp is a master at portraying loopy men you just can't help but love.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Alice's nonconformist attitude. How does she buck cultural expecations? In what ways does her adventure in "Underland" change Alice?
What do you think about Mr. Kingsleigh, and later Alice's adage that "all the best people" are a bit "mad"? What do you think the Mad Hatter means that things are only impossible if you believe them to be?
The Red Queen is cruel but sad. What are some reasons she's so mean? Are there compelling reasons to be angry at her younger sister, the White Queen?
Those familiar with the Lewis Carroll books: Compare this version with the original source and other adaptations. Do you like this Alice as a much older heroine?
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AGE
Great movie. I will be buying the DVD
Loved it so much had to see it twice. The second time in 3D.
Really fun movie and that is why I love fantasy's. Others bore me and this kept me entertained. A bit too slow in the beginning but they had to set the story. The colors are so vibrant they jump out at you, in both 2D and 3D. Very good plot. I was half expecting another over the top Tim Burton story and his overdone(boring) horror plots and characters but this was a very pleaseant surpirse. I believe he was meant to make this movie and it shows what he can be capable of if he gets serious. Great casting and humorous moments intertwined helped make it very enjoyable. All actors did a great job but I have to say I was most impressed with the head henchman to the Red Queen, Stayne (Crispin Glover.)
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AGE
7 year old:
Quote from my 7 year old boy: "I think Disney's Alice in Wonderland is WAY better."
This movie frightened my 7 year old. This is a kid who begs to watch Star Wars movies, and Ben 10 alien force. He watches Scooby Doo as well and isn't clueless when it comes to monsters in movies, and cartoons. I regret taking him and should have known better, since this is a Tim Burton movie.
As for adults, there is plenty of eye candy, but that is about it. The story is boring.
There is one message or theme in the movie, that isn't uncommon for Burton, and in my opinion is inappropriate. This is the idea that it's a virtue to be 'a little off your rocker', odd, strange, etc. Nothing wrong with many counter culture movements, but before you start filling kids heads with ideas about why 'its good to be part of the strange crowd', let's help them understand why being part of mainstream culture, is important. This theme is pretty blatant in my opinion as Alice is being asked to adhere to a stringent aspect of her culture. While we applaud her rejection of this, we should not so because she is 'weird or different', or above the rest, or because she is a counter culture champion.
This wasn't Burton's intent. I believe he wanted to show Alice as an individual, who was strong and made her own decisions, and didn't abandon her culture in rebellion. However, this is the point, a 7 year old won't see it this way, he sees that "weird is cool", "insane is OK". Most 15 year olds will have a hard time pulling Burton's intent out of this movie. They'll take the "weird" and leave the rest behind.
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AGE
I absolutley adore this film, and it is now my favorite movie. My mother took me and four of my friends to see this in the movie theaters the day after it came out. I would have liked to see it in 3D, but 2D was still spectacular. My mom also enjoyed the film and persuaded the rest of my family to see it. They saw it the next day and loved it, obviously. What's not to love? This film puts a twist on the classic tale and is basically a remake of the original Disney animated version, which I thought was absurd. I love Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, and Helena Bonham Carter, and this movie rocked with all of them, although it's the Red Queen (Carter) that steals the show. This movie has positive messages: believe in yourself, never give up, pay no heed to other people and what they say about you. Do what you want to do in life, and nothing that you believe is impossible.
Also, the new song 'Underground" by Avril Lavigne that played at the end credits was great. You can watch it on Youtube.
Danny Elfman was once agan magnificent with his music, and the set and costumes were superb. This is a great fantasy-family adventure that is on DVD just in time for summer!
My only complaint is the violence. Only one or two scenes made me feel queasy: The scene where the Doormouse sticks his pin into the Bandersnatch and pokes his eyeball out, and the scenes where severed heads of the victims of the Red Queen are shown floating in the moat. Other than that, this movie was glorious, magnificent, and fantastical. SEE THIS MOVIE! I heartily reccomend it.
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AGE
Too violent & scary, my kids will see it after they're 10 (I loved it tho)
The scary creatures are too scary, the fall down the hole and some of the chase scenes are too intense for my little ones under 10. Both beheading scenes would have caused nightmares at our house. The jabberwocky and the cat creature were both far too scary, as was the queen and knave most of the time. I however totally loved it, as a grown up. But even the 3D animation was a bit too intense for me, things being thrown or flung at my face a lot of the time.
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AGE
Just like the book, this movie is dark, strange, and wonderful!
I loved this movie! And if I had to choose who the director would be, Tim Burton is the only one that should have been on the list. The movie, just like the book, is dark, strange and wonderful! 3D only makes it even more mysteriously fun!! BUT I agree it is not appropriate for very young children. I also think kids between 7-9 should read the book before seeing the movie.
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Kid, 12 years old
April 1, 2011
AGE
I LOVE THIS MOVIE ALOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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AGE
Pandora was so 2009; welcome to Wonderland. See in 3D!
All the best people, even the critics, are a little bit mad. I'm not a huge fan of all the criticism given to Tim Burton's awesome reimagining/sequel of one of my favorite books of all time. And indeed, those expecting a straight adaption of Lewis Carroll's novel will be disappointed, as will those expecting an Avatar-scale epic. But, if you're into Tim Burton or Johnny Depp...you absolutely have to see this. No joke. Anyways, this entire spectacle takes place 13 years after the events of the book. Alice is now a young woman about to propose to a man (against her will). However, Alice sees the White Rabbit, goes down the rabbit hole, and goes into Wonderland...but it's not the same. The Red Queen (played brilliantly by Helena Bonham "Off With Her Head" Carter) basically controls all of Wonderland now, and it's up to Alice and all her old friends (the Cheshire Cat [STEPHEN FRY, WOO!], Tweedledee and Tweedledum [TWO MATT LUCASES?], the hookah-smoking caterpillar [YES, IT'S ALAN RICKMAN], the dormouse [THE GIRL FROM THE DOCTOR WHO SPINOFF], and Bayard the bloodhound [TIMOTHY SPALL, WOO!]) to find out her true destiny: slay the Jabberwocky. In terms of content, this film is right at Star Wars levels in the PG spectrum. There's some stylized violence and gore, including a beginning skirmish between Alice and the Bandersnatch (causing Alice to get three scratches on her arm, which get worse and then better), an eye gouging (not graphic), a moat full of blood (and disembodied heads, of course, since it's the Red Queen we're talking about here), some disgusting ingredients in a potion, and a beheading (again, not graphic, and it involves an animal). The word "bloody" is used a few times. Finally, you do notice that it's rated PG for "a smoking caterpillar", right? It's just a hookah, and it's only used in a few scenes. Overall, Tim Burton's latest film is simply a wonder to behold, and I would be happy to go to either Pandora or Wonderland if the 3D worlds imagined by James Cameron and Tim Burton were real. Don't listen to the critics' bad reviews. Just see it.
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AGE
One of the most overrated movies in the world
I heard a lot of good reviews about this movie, but when I rented it, I was let down. I mean, I've seen worse, but this movie wasnt really enjoyable. It had a strange, unusual premise, and it felt like it was trying too hard at times to be a good movie. I guess Johnny Depp did a pretty good job as the Mad Hatter, but-ya. C-.
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Kid, 12 years old
December 30, 2010
AGE
Not the best
the cartoon is way better. i never thought it would be that horrible, everyone else thought it was great. the movie was just weird
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Kid, 12 years old
September 22, 2010
AGE
Some violence
It was a little gross at some scenes. There was a scene where a mouse scooped an eye ball out of the beast thing, and it showed all of that scene, so it was creepy and grose.
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy, book characters |
| Studio: | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Director: | Tim Burton |
| Cast: | Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Run time: | 109 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | March 5, 2010 |
| DVD release date: | June 1, 2010 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar. |
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