Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Inviting and magical, "Alice In Wonderland" is an imaginative new twist on one of the most beloved stories of all time. Alice, now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny. This Wonderland is a world beyond your imagination and unlike anything you've seen before. The extraordinary characters you've loved come to life richer and more colorful than ever.

Tim Burton spins a new tale from the popular Disney classic that finds an older Alice revisiting Wonderland. But Wonderland has changed. Alice must find within herself the power to stop the Red Queen from taking over and saving her friends, including a bizarre Mad Hatter. Overall this is an interesting take on the story with incredible visuals but a rather ho hum storyline. I love the rich look of Wonderland, and most of the performances are excellent, but I didn’t feel much of a connection to the main characters. Not quite all style over substance like the recent reimagining of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but not quite the masterpiece of Edward Scissorhands or even The Nightmare Before Christmas.

This film has a very interesting look to it. When the film takes place in our world the image is good, but not spectacular. Colors are a bit muted and detail wanders a bit too much. Once we’re transported to Wonderland though, the film becomes a visual treat. Colors are lush and detail and dimension are impeccable. The rich world and characters are a visual delight with impeccable fine detail and the SFX blend in with the characters perfectly. The DTS-HD Master Audio mix is also a delight and adds an ominous tone to the whole production. Deep bass is punchy and the surrounds offer an incredibly rich spatial soundstage. From a technical standpoint there isn’t much not to love about this film.

This release is seeing a few different versions hit shelves. For this review I received the 3-disc set that includes a DVD copy of the film along with a digital copy for portable devices. On the Blu-ray you’ll find a ton of production features that delve into the making of the film, the incredible visuals, and all of the characters.

While not the masterpiece of storytelling I was hoping for, Alice still delivers a visual treat that can only be seen to be truly appreciated. The Blu-ray captures all of the magic of this production and offers some great insight into the making of the film as well. Recommended.