Can "Alice in Wonderland" be too 3-D?
My daughter has always been a huge fan of "Alice in Wonderland." We even made it the theme of her sixth birthday party. The highlight was when my husband dressed as the White Rabbit and passed out Easter eggs, then was chased madly through the party by a pack of guests who wanted to know who was in the costume.
It's a little traumatic for my daughter to think about, even three years later.
But she still loves the story, so I was a little surprised at her lackluster response when I asked whether she was interested in seeing the Tim Burton version of the movie that will be out this weekend.
I got the same kind of reaction when I suggested the tricked-out version of "A Christmas Carol" last holiday season. The kids were just as happy to stay home with us and watch a classic, black-and-white "Christmas Carol" on TV.
I wonder if my kids are outliers, or whether they're actually on to something. Are the tricks of the new versions of classic tales actually robbing them of their power to stimulate the imagination? Is it more fun for a child to watch a stripped-down movie that lets the story shine through?
(Courtesy Disney Enterprises, Inc./MCT)
Comments
The 3D is too much, the CGI is overdone and it's obviously fake. Nothing is real expect the people and that's annoying. My brain gets completely overloaded. The storyline is the most important, not the special effects. That's second to the story. If both are good, that's great, but lately it's overdone. A prime example is Avatar. I know everything is fake and that's what I'm thinking the whole time. They are onto something.
Posted by: Lyn | March 4, 2010 1:55 PM
The enduring charm of so many kid tales is in the imagination that they inspire. The new "Alice" looks over the top. Agree with "A Christmas Carol" also. Last fall I couldn't wait for the movie to appear. After the previews, my reaction was to simply forget it. "Alice" and "Carol" are at their very best when read silently or aloud and imagination takes hold. Also 3-D anything is just plain overrated...
Posted by: ruth | March 4, 2010 3:37 PM
I have not seen anything more than teasers for the new AiW, but anything Tim Burton touches tends to be over the top--WAY over the top, and I think appeals more to adults than children. I took a couple of 8 or 9 year olds to see his Halloween movie when it first came out years ago, and they were terrified.
Posted by: Dahlink | March 4, 2010 4:07 PM
The little known fact I will throw out there, is that the movie is loosely tied to a video game based on Alice. The game was quite dark, and I expect some of that to carry over to this rendition. Put that together with the fact that Tim Burton is behind this movie, and y'all should not expect to this movie to be a good kids movie.
Posted by: Bill | March 5, 2010 8:00 AM
Sort of in that vein -- I generally don't let my kids see the movies of books they will read but have not yet read. Reading a book opens the imagination so much, and movies, while fun, do all the imagining for you and limit what you see in the book. For instance, my son is a tad too young to enjoy reading Harry Potter, but he'd probably enjoy the films. But we're not seeing them until he's solidified the stories in his mind through the book.
Posted by: Kris | March 6, 2010 8:53 AM
Burton isn't interested in captivating children. Maybe decapitating them, though. His Alice is sure to blow their heads off.
Posted by: TK | March 6, 2010 3:32 PM