“Goth lunacy” made into art, movie critics are already saying of the film

Dec 17, 2009 14:45 GMT  ·  By

When it first emerged that Tim Burton, a director known for the imagery he manages to bring to life, as he’s made every film he ever worked on an ode to aesthetics, would take a swing at “Alice in Wonderland,” few had doubts about his ability to come up with a truly breathtaking film. Even fewer, though, expected something this visually enthralling, the New York Daily News seems to say, as hinted in the second official trailer.

“Alice in Wonderland” stars longtime collaborator and wife Helena Bonham Carter as the evil Red Queen, again longtime collaborator Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Mia Wasikowska as Alice, and delicate Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. The story is familiar to many, yet Burton still manages to bring a new twist to it, while also being able of seemingly rendering it faithfully for the camera, the trailer seems to show.

The film, one sees from the trailer, is a blend of GCI and live action for the sole purpose of taking the viewer into a fantasy land where, as the Mad Hatter says, nothing is impossible, unless “you believe it is.” So far, critics who’ve caught a glimpse of it say that Tim Burton will probably have one of the most impressive releases of 2010, having constructed a mad world that is equally fascinating as it’s repulsive in many respects.

“‘There is a place like no place on earth,’ a disembodied voice intones as we see Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum picking their way through a colorful, otherworldly landscape. ‘Some say to survive it, you need to be as mad as a hatter – which luckily, I am,’ the quavering voice continues as Johnny Depp’s face, complete with orange hair and eyes almost as big as the aforementioned cat’s, looms into view,” the NY Daily News writes of the trailer.

“Anne Hathaway also makes as appearance as the ethereal White Queen. The disembodied head of the Cheshire Cat with his giant glowing eyes, an army of playing cards, and an armor-clad Alice battle ready and brandishing a sword are other tastes of the fantastical world Burton has in store for us when the movie comes out on March 5, 2010,” the publication further writes.

Below is the full, second trailer for Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.” Enjoy.