Hallmark's 1999 Alice in Wonderland Review
11 May 2013
I think almost everyone knows this story… as a little girl I remember watching the Walt Disney animated version. It was strange – of course – but children will watch almost everything that you put in front of them. Over time I grew up, our VCR collection was sorted through, and our TV decided to explode… and Alice in Wonderland faded away… *Oh, how tragic*
While I was studying the History of British Literature in my English A.C.E. PACE’s, I was reminded again of this story. They also mentioned that this story and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, was a political satire. My interest was piqued. Now this was interesting! I borrowed the book from a friend and read it through. I couldn’t really see the satire in the text (and that is a subject that I’ll study up later), but now I was curious about a film…
I found four/five different versions on YouTube, but this one really caught my eye… I watched it over the weekend. Okay… it was weird… but that’s Alice in Wonderland for you. :/
This is going to be a little different from my usual reviews… and this one is practically going to be all spoilers, so if you want to watch this film without spoilers, don’t read past the synopsis. :)
SYNOPSIS
While I was studying the History of British Literature in my English A.C.E. PACE’s, I was reminded again of this story. They also mentioned that this story and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, was a political satire. My interest was piqued. Now this was interesting! I borrowed the book from a friend and read it through. I couldn’t really see the satire in the text (and that is a subject that I’ll study up later), but now I was curious about a film…
I found four/five different versions on YouTube, but this one really caught my eye… I watched it over the weekend. Okay… it was weird… but that’s Alice in Wonderland for you. :/
This is going to be a little different from my usual reviews… and this one is practically going to be all spoilers, so if you want to watch this film without spoilers, don’t read past the synopsis. :)
SYNOPSIS
(Sorry about the German... this was the only trailer I could find!)
A acclaimed British production which originally aired on NBC, Lewis Carroll's classic story comes to life once again in this updated version- with an all-star cast including Martin Short, Whoopi Goldberg, Miranda Richardson, and Gene Wilder.
REVIEW
A acclaimed British production which originally aired on NBC, Lewis Carroll's classic story comes to life once again in this updated version- with an all-star cast including Martin Short, Whoopi Goldberg, Miranda Richardson, and Gene Wilder.
REVIEW
This Alice in Wonderland film begins as Alice (played by Tina Majorino) prepares to sing at an afternoon tea party that her parents are throwing. She has a bad case of stage fright, so runs away to a peaceful part of her parents’ estate away from the party… and there sees the white Rabbit (voice by Richard Coombs). This 1999 rabbit is a little strange. From the 1950’s animated version I had remembered the white rabbit as just being a bit absentminded, but this rabbit struck me as stupid and proud. He seemed to move and twitch for no apparent reason. Very odd.
Next Alice meets the lecturing mouse – played by Ken Dodd. He takes Alice to his lecture (hoping that it will be ‘dry’ enough to dry her wet clothes), there she encounters the characters of Miss Lory, Mr. Dodo, Mr. Eaglet, and Mr. Duck. As you’ve guessed by the names, Lewis Carroll originally wrote in the story that these were real animals, but I really like that these are portrayed by people in this film. If you didn’t know the written story… you don’t really know that these four characters are really birds.
"You mustn't be afraid... that's worse than not remembering."
Next along Alice’s journey – after she’s shrunk some – she meets Major Caterpillar, played by Ben Kingsley. It was very odd for me to see this actor playing a loud, slightly high, pompous caterpillar… I’ve only ever seen him as calm, quiet characters. Major Caterpillar gives Alice some important advice for
being brave. At the end of this scene my little sister sighs and says, “He’s still Anne’s dad.” (See my review for Anne Frank)… she’s right, nuances of this character comes through.
being brave. At the end of this scene my little sister sighs and says, “He’s still Anne’s dad.” (See my review for Anne Frank)… she’s right, nuances of this character comes through.
After Alice uses the Caterpillar’s mushroom to regain her normal size, Alice meet another two strange characters. Forgive me if I use that adjective too often, but it seems to describe almost every character in this story. There is a sentence scramble that goes on between these two footmen. Before I tell you who they are… look at the pictures and see if you can determine which animals they are too be. As with the birds, you generally can’t tell unless you know the story. The shorter fellow, bearing, for the duchess, an invitation from the queen to play croquet, is played by Hugh Lloyd and he is a fish. The other fellow, who accepts, from the queen, an invitation for the duchess to play croquet, is played by Peter Eyre, is he is meant to be a frog.
FISH: For the duchess, an invitation from the queen to play croquet
FROG: From the queen, an invitation for the duchess to play croquet FISH: An invitation to play croquet from the queen for the duchess FROG: *pause* I've got the gist FISH: Are you sure? FROG: Yes, it's an invitation from the queen for the duchess to play croquet FISH: Hm... I wouldn't put it quite like that, but it'll do I suppose |
Inside the house at which the footmen were having their discussion, Alice meets this Duchess, her baby boy, her cook, and her grinning Cheshire cat. The duchess’ cook – played by Sheila Hancook – is obsessed with pepper and throwing things. She waves the pepper grinder everywhere causing everyone to sneeze constantly and the baby to cry. The Duchess herself is played by Elizabeth Spriggs. This large strange lady is surprisingly calm surrounded by a crazy cook smashing dishes and her crying baby and has no qualms about tossing Alice her baby to go and play croquet with the queen.
Probably the only ‘person’ who speaks intelligently to Alice on her journey through Wonderland is the Cheshire cat – played by Whoopi Goldberg. I was a little surprised at first, to have a lady (an American one at that!) playing the cat, but I got used to it quickly enough. And at the end of the film I liked Whoopi Goldberg as the cat. There was a comfortable feeling about her that didn’t make her quite as creepy as she came across as at first.
Next is the famous tea party with the Mad Hatter and March Hare. I really like this Mad Hatter, played by Martin Short. He’s crazy, but likeable… especially his uncanny ability to burst into song. The Hare, played by Francis Wright, I’m not too keen on. He’s an unlikeable crazy. :? I really liked how the costume designers made these two look almost identical to the illustrations in Carroll’s original story. Another addition character at the tea party is the Dormouse, a little mouse who is always asleep and tells a rather intriguing story about three girls who lived down a treacle well. Don’t worry… Alice didn’t get it either.
Now we get to the royal part of the story. Alice makes her way back to the little door and gets into the beautiful garden. There she comes upon three cards painting white roses red. It seems that they’re worried that the Queen of Hearts wouldn’t take too kindly to the mix-up and chop off their heads.
Well, the Queen comes around the corner with her entourage… and the cards were
right. Alice saves them from being beheaded and gets invited to a crazy croquet
game where the mallets are flamingos, the balls are hedgehogs, and the hoops are soldiers. The Queen – played by Miranda Richardson – has got one set of lungs! The way she screeches, “OOOOFF WITH HIS HEEEEAD!!!” makes you cringe. The King of Hearts – played by Simon Russell Beale – is another one of the likeable crazy characters. Although he is dominated by his wife, he does have a lot of swing and doesn’t mind the queen’s eccentric desire for beheadings.
Well, the Queen comes around the corner with her entourage… and the cards were
right. Alice saves them from being beheaded and gets invited to a crazy croquet
game where the mallets are flamingos, the balls are hedgehogs, and the hoops are soldiers. The Queen – played by Miranda Richardson – has got one set of lungs! The way she screeches, “OOOOFF WITH HIS HEEEEAD!!!” makes you cringe. The King of Hearts – played by Simon Russell Beale – is another one of the likeable crazy characters. Although he is dominated by his wife, he does have a lot of swing and doesn’t mind the queen’s eccentric desire for beheadings.
Here we are also introduced to the Knave of Hearts, Jack, played by Jason Flemyng. Later on in the film there is a trial against him for stealing the Queen’s tarts, during which we discover that he is actually the Queen’s nephew. He is very much the proud fop that is expected of someone with the title ‘Knave of Hearts’.
I love the accuracy of the croquet game in this Alice in Wonderland film! The examples of flamingos, hedgehogs, and soldiers/cards were used pretty much exactly as they were in the book. I was very impressed.
After Alice’s attempt at croquet, she meets the Gryphon (voice by Donald Sinden) and the Mock Turtle (played by Gene Wilder). I love this scene… mainly because of Gene Wilder’s character… Ever since I first saw him as a little girl in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory he’s been a special actor. This film has reaffirmed that. I love that he sang and danced… must be his speciality. It was one of the few scenes that didn’t include completely crazy characters.
After Alice’s singing adventures with the Gryphon and Mock Turtle, she finds herself wandering around in a dark forest, then the ‘victim’ of a joust… each knight claiming her as their prize! Anyone who knows anything about Alice in Wonderland would recognize that this isn’t really part of the story… Well, that is true in and of the fact that everything from this point on is actually from Louis Carroll’s sequel to Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass. I read a comment once that this White Knight
(played Christopher Lloyd) would make a good grandfather… and I think I could agree with that. He’s a little – okay, a lot – absentminded, but sweet.
(played Christopher Lloyd) would make a good grandfather… and I think I could agree with that. He’s a little – okay, a lot – absentminded, but sweet.
After running into some very strange and stupid flowers, Alice bumps into Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Alice treats them a great deal colder in this film than she does in the book, but honestly these two fellows are about the most frustrating. Ned Tweedledum is played by Robbie Caltrane and Fred Tweedledee is played by George Wendt. In the end when they plan to fight over the rattle than ended up in the dirt, these two fellows dress up in the most hilarious of armour. What is a really big credit to the costume designers is that the original illustrations in Carroll’s work was replicated exactly in this 1999 film.
Tweedledum and Tweedledee told an interesting and a little disturbing poem called The Walrus and the Carpenter. Apparently this poem is a political satire for Britain and France and their colonies. The Walrus representing France, the Carpenter Britain, and the oysters representing the colonies. I don’t know for sure how true that is, but it puts an interesting
spin on it! :)
spin on it! :)
Lastly this film ends with Jack’s trial (which actually jumps back to the first book). It’s a totally ridiculous trial (of course… this is Alice in Wonderland)… with the Queen demanding the sentence before the verdict, completely incompetent witnesses, and an innocent victim. It was finally here that Alice gained enough confidence to stand up to the crazy characters in her dream…
Finally, she wakes up and realizes that she is brave enough to sing at her parents tea party after all. She rushes back and stands in front of the guests. As the camera pans over Alice’s audience, you can see where the characters from her dream came from. If you look closely you can recognise almost everyone. While the metronome is ticking, Alice decides not to sing the usual song her and grandmother had picked, but decides to sing the song that the mock turtle taught her. As the mock turtle is my favourite Wonderland character… the ending is just perfect. :)
RATING
On my scale of 1 to 5, I’d give this film a 2.5
I can’t find a rating for this film, but because of the strangeness of it all, I wouldn’t recommend this for younger children. There are darker scenes and random WEIRD characters (The Queen of Hearts, March Hare, Mad Hatter…) that can be quite frightening for younger children.