“What a regrettably large head you have.” – Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp)

Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors. An absolutely cool guy with an incredibly unique sense of style and personality.  And one of the few that can absolutely capture any role he takes on.

I just returned from watching Alice in Wonderland, the 3D version by Tim Burton.  The line above is my favorite line of the entire movie, and nobody can pull it off like Johnny Depp.  In shackles, forced to kneel before the Red Queen, she asks him “Where’s Alice” and he replies “What a regrettably large head you have.”  Perfect!

Alice in Wonderland starring Johnny Depp

If you’re seeing the movie in the near future, get to the theater early.  We were running a little late (what’s new) and ended up having to sit about 5 rows from the front.  5D does not look as good as 3D (more about my thoughts on 3D later).

A few minutes into the movie, half of the screen turned a yellow tint.  So we’re watching half of the screen in 3D, and the other half looked like the Blue Blockers sunglasses that you used to see advertised on TV all the time.

After they restarted, we were back on track.  First, my thoughts on the movie, then my thoughts on 3D.  I really enjoyed this movie, except for the ending.  I thought the ending was very cliche, with the expected but unnecessary battle scene, and a ridiculous break-dancing meets river-dancing, called the futterwack, put on by both Johnny Depp and Mia Wasikowska, and a dose of excessive cockiness tossed in for good measure.  But it was a fun movie and I guess this was their attempt to appeal to the younger, hipper generation.

But those tiny annoyances aside, it was a cool movie and I recommend seeing it at the theaters. A grown up Alice returns to wonderland to save the day, with some of the funnest and goofiest characters you’ve ever seen.  Tweedledee and Tweedledum were great (reminded me of some of my friends hehe), and of course Johnny Depp nailed the Mad Hatter.

Remind you of anyone you know?

And of course, a great message: don’t be afraid to dream, to think big, and to follow your dreams.  If you like that kind of thing (and I do), there was a small dose of inspiration here as well.

So do yourself a favor and go see the enchanting Alice in Wonderland.  I’m sure you won’t regret it.

As far as 3D?  Well, I’m still not sold 100%.  It’s very cool as an effect, but I think I prefer the amazing resolution and brightness delivered by a standard movie.  The 3D version seems to lack the sharpness and resolution.  At times, the picture is stunning, but then it goes into a blur and it’s hard to follow.  Add to that the ‘looking through a window’ feeling I get and I have to say I prefer the standard 2D movies.  I look forward to seeing the bright colors and vividness of Alice in Wonderland in 2D, the way they were meant to be portrayed.

So allow me to put on my Movie Critic hat and announce my rating!  I give Alice in Wonderland a B.  Let’s hear your comments?