ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (4 out of 10) Directed by James Bobin; Written by Linda Woolverton; Starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Sacha Baron Cohen, Rhys Ifans, Matt Lucas, Lindsay Duncan, Leo Bill, Geraldine James, Andrew Scott, Richard Armitage, Alan Rickman; Running time 113 min; Rated PG for “fantasy action/peril and some language”; In wide distribution May 27, 2016.
Someone needs to apologize to Lewis Carroll. This film is the epitome of everything wrong with lazy sequels. While beautiful and containing a few moments of fun and originality, its script paints itself into a corner and can only rescue itself with a ridiculous deus ex machina and seems to revel more in making bad puns than developing its characters or giving us really much of anything new.
But Alice is back, and this time fights patriarchy and sexism in the real world, then retreats into Wonderland through a giant looking glass. The Hatter has gone even madder, tortured by regret over losing his family, whom he insists are still alive. In order to save them, Alice must travel through time, whose literal embodiment exists in Sacha Baron Cohen and a giant world clock he protects.
Those hoping for a fitting tribute or final performance from Alan Rickman will be the most disappointed. He shows up for maybe a single line of dialogue, and this is as unsatisfying as it gets for a film dedicated to one of the best actors in the first film.
A good time travel adventure sets its rules, follows them, and then ties up all the loose ends and paradoxes time travel entails. This is not a good time travel adventure. While the journey is fine and even beautiful at times, its climax is predictable, unsatisfying and doesn’t make a lick of sense.
But there are some good parts of this film. Like its predecessor, it is gorgeous to look at. Director James Bobin is to be praised for delivering a film just as rich and visually quirky and innovative as Tim Burton. An opening sequence in the South China Sea facing off against pirates is a highlight– one which the film never gets around to meeting again. Indeed, all of the things taking place in Alice’s real world are far more gripping and interesting than what’s going on in Wonderland.
Speaking of the banality of Wonderland, Johnny Depp’s presence here has gone from fleetingly annoying in the first film to full-on nails-on-chalkboard levels of awful here. Sacha Baron Cohen is almost equally as awful as he performs his character with a German accent that is the halfway point between “Brüno” and a bad Werner Herzog impression.
The saving graces of this film are its three female leads, especially Helena Bonham Carter. Hers is the only character who goes through any major development, but she is playing it to the 9’s in a way that you can’t look away from. Mia Wasikowska also tries her best in the lead, but there just isn’t enough for her to do here. Ditto for Anne Hathaway.
This film was just a waste. For those who really loved the first one and just have to see it, you may escape somewhat entertained and unharmed. The rest of us should probably seek better entertainment elsewhere. Anywhere, really.
4 out of 10