Before I begin, I would like to dedicate this post to Justin Wong, Mary Pham, and Nicole Manalang, as they are three individuals who not only support me and my endeavors in all the important ways one can ever hope for, but they are also the ones who consistently remind me of my duties to this site, to the comic strip, and to myself.

Also, they are the only ones (that I know of) who actually VISIT the site on a regular basis My deepest thanks.

This has been a long time coming and may have taken longer than it needed to, but I am particularly fond of this strip and all of the little details I managed to cram into it.  If you manage to figure out all of the phrases in the cacophony of confusion of panel one AND are able to reference what pop references they allude to, then you win a “no-prize” for the week and you possibly know me far TOO well.

I managed to catch this with a friend while we had nothing but time to kill during our stay over in Arizona (well, that is not entirely true.  One can always find something else to kill…). I am a big fan of both Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, but I find that the former is at a point in his career where he seems to be going through the motions and is churning out work that is, for lack of a better term, uninspired (aside from Sweeney Todd, which was a refreshing departure, maybe not so much in style but certainly in genre).  As for Depp, I prefer his serious work to his eccentric roles, so it is safe to say I had no high expectations entering this film.

I am not a fan of the Alice mythology, so I have no strong emotional connection to the original film nor the source material from which the films are inspired from.  I can certainly tell you, however, that if you are a strong proponent of correct “adaptations” and plot consistency and if you are indeed a fan of the original film, then you may not enjoy the liberties that this film takes on the mythos.  Disney heralds this film as a sequel to the Disney original (not the Lewis Carol books) so everything that you know and remember of the Disney canon is applicable and enough to enjoy this film without any confusion.  This is not entirely true, however, as this “sequel” combines the original film’s canon with details from Carol’s books, creating a story that is both refreshingly and confusingly new (in territory) and nostalgic at the same time.  However, here are a few things that stood out to me like a sore thumb while watching the film: there is no white queen/sister in the original film; if I remember correctly, the caterpillar turns into a butterfly in the original yet here he is, a caterpillar, once again; the “Jabberwocky” does not show up in the first film and is barely mentioned there, yet here it is, very prominent, as if we are expected to be familiar with the character and its “legend”; and I do not recall the Mad Hatter ever having a close relationship with Alice in the first film other than trying to get her seemingly drunk.

In fact, to add to that last tidbit, I cannot think of a better image than the one posted above to sum the film up: it is a movie running on a script that is written to prominently show off Johnny Depp.  Yes, Alice (played by Mia Wasikowska) is the main character, but Depp’s “Hatter” is the draw and the star.  The film ultimately suffers from this, as the plot (like any good plot of a sequel) is no longer catering to existing characters like it should be, but is now forcing the existing, established characters to change and act differently to cater to the story that they WANT to tell/sell rather than the one they SHOULD be telling.

Thus, the film is not an Alice film as dictated by Carrol’s books or even the original Disney film, but is rather an amalgam of films that have made money over the years, starring the characters from the Alice mythos (aesthetically, anyway).  The characters LOOK the part, but most do not act their parts correctly (as far as I remember, anyway).  You can label this film The Chronicles of Wonderland and you would not be far from the truth.

Does this hinder the film to the point of scrutiny and hopelessness?  Hardly, as even though the film may not be entirely original or even consistent to its predecessor, it gets enough right to make us nostalgic for that world, while at the same time tell a story that is fresh and new to the Alice mythos.  Wasikowska’s “Alice” is endearing and every bit as innocent as her animated counterpart and carries the film even under the shadow of Mr. Depp, and the characters who are acting as they should be are fun to revisit and spend some time with.

Is this a film worth watching more than once?  No, but one viewing will quench any curiosity you might have (if you are curious enough, that is).  Is there anything groundbreaking here from either Burton or Depp?  Not at all, a walk in the park for these two, you have seen it before in some form or another.  Will this turn any Burton-haters into fans?  Absolutely not, continue with your hate and curses.  If you are someone who does not mind those three things and are looking for a nice matinee to kill some time: this will not be money ill-spent.

Verdict: Watch only if you are a fan of the Burton-Depp connection.

An overall fun romantic comedy.  Being a man certainly on the “geekier” side of things, the film certainly made me chuckle out loud more than a few times, as if it is something I wrote while thinking out loud about what an “ideal” life would be like for someone like me.  The biggest gripe I have with the movie, however, is its “conflict.”  We all know that, in a romantic comedy, there has to be a conflict 1/2-3/4 of the way so that the couple can disastrously break up and miraculously get back together in the end.  The conflict in the film, however, is confusing and lacks any real substance or correct build-up to make it rational or believable, and is hindered because there is more than one break-up scene in the movie between the principal actors, so the flow of movie is awkwardly off at times.  Luckily, the stars are charming enough to carry the weight of the film, but sadly never leave what is safe or established within the formula of the genre.  Average, run-of-the-mill, and certainly by-the-books, nothing one needs to go out of their way to watch, but will more than likely enjoy if you do.Verdict: Rental if you have run out of romantic comedies to watch.

What can I say?  It is Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio.  While not his best film, it is certainly well made, through and through.  I am a little disappointed in that I (and I am sure many others did as well) managed to guess the twist of the film, but was thoroughly surprised with the film’s other twist near the end that I managed not to think about or ponder.  I am also very happy to see Ben Kingsley finally get some respectable work in the face of most of his recent, “questionable” contributions (the man portrayed GANDHI for crying out loud, he deserves good scripts!).  The end where everything is explained is a little hard to swallow due to its extreme nature, but this only comes after a stellar film has run its course.  Lovely film, cinema at its best, and a good way to spend your time at the movies.

Verdict: Watch, but be prepared to pay attention.  NOT for film-junkies looking to turn their brains off.

Quick Hits!

1.  Today was a day filled with basketball, both in front of the television and physically on the courts.  Thankfully, the latter made up for the lack of physical effort needed for the former…

2.  My little sister, who was on Spring Break the past week, requested to watch my copy of the first Iron Man so that she can prep for the second one.  After much badgering and cursing on my part, we spent a lovely afternoon together getting acquainted with Mr. Stark…  blasphemy if you have not watched this film!

3.  A “foreigner” on the basketball courts managed to knee my left thigh, reminding me that I am no longer as young as I would like to be and must learn how to better pace my self in my “older” years…

4.  Currently playing in the background: Everybody Loves Raymond.  And if you don’t, you clearly don’t have a heart.

5.  As many of you know, through certain circumstances, good fortune, and what I would like to call, “fate,” I finally, Finally, FINALLY, attended a LIVE Wrestlemania event: WRESTLEMANIA 26!!!  Just as old as I am, it was a dream come true that was 20+ years in the making.  I know a lot of you scoff at my love and endearment for professional wrestling, but we all draw our inspiration and motivations from different wells, are raised with different backgrounds and circumstances of nurture and influence, and grow emotional bonds with fiction of all sorts, be it on a weekly television show (Friends comes to mind), 2 hour film, or literary characters such as “Harry Potter.”  Wrestling just happens to be one of mine.  These are performers who have been present and have connected with me nearly all of my life, and to be able to be at the Superbowl of wrestling for the first time in my whole life, and to witness the return of one of my all-time favorite wrestlers and the retirement of another all-time favorite… it was simply incredible.

6.  I am craving chicken wings.  Nom nom…

7.  I am seriously contemplating doing P90X.  Bring on the pain!

8.  I know where Hero needs to be, it’s just GETTING there that is the problem.

9.  How much wood can a wood chuck chuck? 

10. Random Michael Fact: I love macaroni and cheese.  I think it is nature’s perfect food!… made by man…!

Thanks, everybody!

*BAMF!*

Michael