We're All Mad Here?

In continuation of my fixation on the Cheshire Cat (I've been doodling him everywhere like a schoolgirl in Mia Wasikowska cast as 'Alice'love lately)-- this week Kitty's Corner is dedicated to the upcoming special effect extravaganza re-imagination of Alice in Wonderland.

While I'm curious and excited to see yet another incarnation of my favorite Cat, everything I'm reading about this project is leaving me reluctant to put all my biscuits in one basket, so to say.  In general, I like Tim Burton's twist-tastic take on story making-- some of his movies rank in my all time favorites.  However, I'm starting to see the shine wear off Burton's method.  The Barenaked Ladies said 'It's all been done before' and I hate to feel like it's true.  I want to see Burton do something that blows my socks off like Nightmare Before Christmas did when I was a kid-- something so creatively clever and new that you can't help but wonder how no one thought to make it that way before.  The last few movies I've seen from him have, well, been precisely Burton-esque.  He's his own genre nowadays and is stuck in it.  For an artist, this is a dangerous trap and here's hoping he can bust himself out of it.

Aside from the danger of Burton being too Burton-ey, I'm worried about the heavy special effect-reliance that this movie is bragging about.  Sure, it has the potential to make Wonderland come alive in previously unforseen (and un-attainable) ways-- taking the audience really and truly through the looking glass as they've only been in their imaginations thus far.  It also has the potential to steal energy, money, and attention that could have been spent on making the script and acting really spectacular.  We've seen a lot of movies in this super-visual power era fall victim to pretty sights and crappy scripts.  Alice promises to be a mish-mash of animation, motion capture, and CGI-- all along with presentation in 3D.  It will inevitably be either perfectly amazing or painfully overwhelming. 

You know I'm a sucker for a Cat with tattoos-- American McGee's take on the Cheshire CatMy third concern for this little (by little I mean huge-budget) film is the re-use of burton's go-to actors-- Johnny Depp and more recently Helena Bonham Carter.  Believe me, I loves me some Johnny and Helena. They're good... when they're good.  But there comes a point when even a capable actor can't shed the traces of all the roles he or she has played before-- and we get Willy Wonka the Mad Hatter.  I do honestly think that Johnny Depp is capable of bringing the Mad Hatter to new levels.  I'm just not convinced that it will happen in this project.  Too many factors are present that could push this whole production into Already-Been-Done-derland.  

That said, the choice to bring a relatively unknown actress into the role of Alice sooths some of my concerns.  At least a fresh face will be taking us through Wonderland-- even if all the wonderful characters we meet are old news. A really stunning performance by Mia Wasikowska could pull this whole thing together- even if my other possible issues do turn out to be disappointing realities. 

And, obviously, if they screw up the Cheshire Cat I'll never forgive the lot of 'em.  I am hoping for a deliciously dark incarnation ala American McGee's Alice video game.  I suppose if this Burton-attempt does fizzle, there are always rumors of a Marilyn Manson take on the whole idea-- and that is certainly guaranteed to be anything but 'overdone.'