Alice in Wonderland

I love Tim Burton. He is a genius when it comes to making dark films with twisted stories and spectacular visuals. Films like "Sweeney Todd," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," and "Sleepy Hollow" are some of his greats, just to name a few. Now he has taken on the classic story of "Alice in Wonderland," and once again, he is successful.

In this telling, Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is now 19 and does not remember her first trip to Underland( turns out she mispronounced it the first time). At her engagement party, she once again sees the white rabbit, complete with suit coat and clock, and follows him down the rabbit hole. When she enters Underland, we begin to see familiar characters, such as the Red Queen (the always outstanding Helena Bonham Carter), Mad Hatter (the equally brilliant Johnny Depp), and the smoking caterpillar (voice of the wickedly awesome Alan Rickman). Alice must now defeat a creature called the Jabberwocky in order for the evil Red Queen's reign to end.

This version of "Alice in Wonderland" is one not to be missed. In the hands of Tim Burton, one can always expect some twists and turns, as well as eye-popping visuals. He does not fail, as the special effects are glorious and beautiful to look at.

As twisted, funny, and brilliant Johnny Depp is as the Mad Hatter, his is not the only performance that stands out. Newcomer Mia Wasikowska is wonderful as Alice, and I hope to see her in other films to come. Helena Bonham Carter steals the show as the Red Queen, as her shrill cries of "Off with his/her head" are unforgettable and creepy. Anne Hathaway is sweet and innocent as the White Queen, while Michael Sheen and Alan Rickman lend their brilliant vocal talents to the White Rabbit and smoking caterpillar.

The film is currently being shown in 3d, 3d IMAX, and just regular 2d. I have to say that I saw the film twice this weekend (call me crazy, but I loved it!), once in 3d and once in 2d. I have to say that I enjoyed 2d only because the color is much brighter and beautiful to look at. The legend himself Roger Ebert wrote that he could not wait to admire the film in 2d simply for this reason, and I could not agree more. While I do feel that seeing films like "Avatar" in 3d enhance the experience, most of the time it is just extra money spent for no reason. So do yourself a favor and see this in 2d so you can get more out of the eye-popping visuals Mr. Burton has presented to us.

I highly recommend "Alice in Wonderland" to anyone, especially if you are fans of Burton's previous work. I also must say that this is a perfect companion to the old animated version of "Alice in Wonderland," a classic that I love and still laugh at.