With yet another franchise which allows the once and still amazing Johnny Depp to choose roles poorly, comes Disney with their follow-up to the less than wonderful, Alice in Wonderland entitled Alice Through the Looking Glass. With a lukewarm reception by both critic and audience reviews, the first Alice came off as nothing more than a visual hype with slipshod story telling and annoying characters. The trailer for its sequel promises roughly the same.
Alice (played by Mia Wasikowska) travels back to Wonderland, and back in time to save The Mad Hatter (Depp) from Time (played by Sacha Baron Cohen). Strap in kids, it’s a time travel flick. Cool, right?… Right?
From first watch, Looking Glass looks similar. Loud, bright and overdone. One would never imagine having to use a term such as overdone for an Alice in Wonderland movie, but the team behind these films have cracked that code with flying colors. Noticeably heavy on CG, the movie appears more like a series of video game cut scenes than a feature film. A lesson for future big budget blockbusters, noise and spectacle needs guidance from a strong script. A feat most likely to go by the wayside in this case.
Bringing us to the most intriguing affronts to film, Disney and Johnny Depp team-ups. A storied actor since jump street, (pun definitely intended) Depp is known for his skill as a leading man. His ability to inhabit a character and reflect the role perfectly from page to screen is a talent any actor should strive for. Although, his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney’s The Pirates of the Caribbean, the first of which I truly enjoyed, started a snowball of poorly picked projects which the Alice franchise is continuing to roll effortlessly downhill. Being a fan of Johnny Depp, I will continue to appreciate his work, just not all of his work. Both he and Disney are better than this.
Understanding Alice in Wonderland is not for everyone, I can see why some may have enjoyed the film. With that said, I was not a fan. Having only a trailer to go on at the moment, it is safe to say Alice Through the Looking Glass will offer little to entice me watch it in theaters either, which is fine. It’s just not my cup of tea.
Watch for yourself, be your own critic. One person’s flop might be someone else’s favorite.
Release Date: May 27, 2016
