By: Holley Sinn

Verdict:  Approved

I'm not sure why Tim Burton decided to go the direction he went with his "Alice in Wonderland" script.  I don't know why he aged his heroine nine years.  It's not clear why he put her in a position of arranged marriage or why he centered his tale around her final encounter with the infamous Jaberwocky.  For whatever reason, Burton decided to stray entirely from the original Lewis Carroll story...and many have wagged their fingers at his efforts, but not me.  For this critic, this "Alice" is a Valentine to a generation of young women looking to make a way for themselves in a world that's still not offering them any help along their way.

Alice, played by Mia Wasikowska, begins her journey en route to a party which is, unbeknownst to her, an engagement celebration for herself and an uppity aristocrat named Hamish.  When he proposes in front of an entire lawn full of people, Alice escapes by chasing a little white rabbit in a waistcoat down a rabbit hole and into a Burton-esque world of odd looking creatures and strange villains.  The creatures act as if they've met Alice before....and even argue over whether the rabbit has delivered the "correct" Alice.

Throughout the film, the creatures talk continuously of Alice's charge to defeat the Jaberwocky and restore the White Queen's place as leader of "Underland". The White Queen, played by Anne Hathaway, had her throne stolen by The Red Queen, played by Helena Bonham Carter.  The Red Queen's propensity for chopping off the heads of those she is displeased by, has made her an enemy of the people, and the only way to dethrone her is to destroy her monster....and Alice is the only one who can do it. 

Burton's "Alice" is a strong, capable young woman who seeks to please her family...and even her friends in "Underland"...but a battle rages within her between what other's want for her...and what she wants for herself.  Despite the Mad Hatter's urgings that Alice must defeat the Jaberwocky...by the way, the Hatter is played by the incomparable Johnny Depp....The White Queen makes it clear that the battle must be Alice's choosing.  The beauty of the visuals match those of the story, and despite an odd, misplaced dance number, the film is like a little bit of cinematic poetry.

"Alice in Wonderland" is a little frightening for small children, so I would only recommend it for ages nine and up, but it IS rated PG...and it opens today in theaters all over the bay area.