Alice in Wonderland (2D) ***

I would love to have Tim Burton's imagination. The way he can produce a vision of his is amazing. It's just a shame his storytelling abilities don't quite match up in this revision of the Alice in Wonderland tale.

He takes it from when Alice is 19, already having been to the world of the unimaginable, but thinking it is a dream. When she finally stumbles upon the place once more, what occurs is a repetitive yet fun tale of the characters and life again.

The extent of detail in each scene in brilliant. There is no doubt about it that Burton has done wonders on the idea of the Wonderland. The colours he uses are bright, yet when it comes to that Gothic tone he adores he knows how to produce it. The way in which the characters have been thought out is also a pretty fun sight to see.

You've probably seen images of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, but that isn't the finished product. The Hatter constantly changes depending on his mood which is fascinating to notice. And Helena Bonham Carter's portrayal of the Red Queen is probably one of her best roles. She's loud, bossy and mean; a complete contrast to Anne Hathaway who's a world loving sister of the ruling queen. The best character in my opinion was of course the Cheshire Cat voiced by Stephen Fry. It looks fake as it has been created with CGI, but it's whole persona and the way it moves is just enchanting. As for Alice (Mia Wasikowska), she's endearing and plays the part pretty well, if not a little odd. It just doesn't have that Alice magic it did in the cartoon.

I know it's a completely different reworking of the film and has been told from another angle, but there just isn't that sense of a new adventure. In the Disney cartoon, you're taken to all sorts of lands with various creatures telling a new story. In this you're provided with the same individuals, with similar settings all telling the same sort of thing. It's almost like a crazy remake of Narnia. The 3D version I can imagine would be gimmicky in terms of the way it's brought across, so I thought it would be nice to take the setting in without having the wear glasses.

I'm not saying this is a bad film, because it really isn't. It's beautiful to watch and fairly entertaining. The hype around it seems to have been a factor to let this film down. It's hard to put across the opinion because it is a film you should watch. It's Tim Burton doing Alice in Wonderland. But don't go in with high expectations because you'll just come out disappointed. If you go in, expect something a little weird and wonderful then you will be fully satisfied.

Fun Trivia: Burton filmed in Cornwall and has left the giant Toadstools in the forest where the grand house is at the beginning of the film. You can now visit the set!