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After months of waiting, I finally got to see the pixelated adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, the much anticipated CGI-filled masterpiece crafted by none other than the master, Tim Burton himself.
With the familiar trio of Burton, Depp and Bonham-Carter at their weirdest, the star-studded cast was itself a testimony to the movie.
So, armed with a bucket full of popcorn and iridescent 3D glasses, we gawked at what can only be described as a visual treat with its breathtaking, fast action-packed sequences, brilliant, surreal graphics and elaborate, stunning costumes and makeup.
However, what impressed me the most about the movie was Burton's interpretation of Lewis Carroll's classic as he takes the well-loved fairytale that has put millions of children to bed and morphs it into a twisted, bizarre 'underworld' with characters motivated by far darker intentions than playing croquet with a frightened porcupine.
It made me wonder how interpretations and meanings have altered over the course of time. Fairytales that have seemingly meant nothing more to us than happy endings and towering castles in a land far, far away may be just glorified, glazed versions of a dark, gruesome fantasy as is the case for many of the tales penned by the Grimm brothers.
Their grisly, blood splattered fictitious stories have had their atrocities mopped away to produce a dreamy, pearly, enchanted fable complete with childish innocence and 'happily ever after'.
Moreover, it's amazing how different people see the same piece of work in vastly different lights. While some believe Burton's fabrication of the popular tale is a butchered hotchpotch of the original with merely crumbs of the actual plot, others believe that it is a step-forward, an odd, rather refreshingly new perspective of the childish yarn.
What pleased me most was the large line of people clamouring for tickets to the opening show.
It proved how much the people of Bahrain have grown and become more open-minded as they embrace innovative ideas and are willing to take risks.
Alice in Wonderland, at the end of the day, turned out to be an invigorating experience indeed. Its intricate elements, subtle mockery of Victorian etiquette, childish wonder and surreal imagery and magical realism is a feast for your senses. And if that isn't enough, its insanity is sure to keep you entertained because Alice in Wonderland is truly as delightful and delirious as a mad hatter.
- Film review by Youth Talk columnist
Sangeetha Alagappan
