Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Disney goes out on a limb with this one, but it works for me. Tim Burton dances with the devil again and comes up smelling roses - again. Dark tellings of classic stories ring truer with me than the the more gentle versions. Reading the original tales one finds some very dark themes and scenes. So, I like to see these fresh spins on old stories.

Relative newcomer Mia Wasikowska does a wonderful job of playing big and small Alice. Helena Bonham Carter (6th Burton film), next door neighbor and mother of Burton's children, plays the CG-altered Red Queen of Hearts - brilliant! Johnny Depp (7th Burton film) plays the totally Mad Hatter, and although his accent changes from scene to scene, it fits well with his character. At one point when someone threatens to "off his head" his replies, "too late". Very funny.

This movie is okay for the younger viewers as well. Some of the scenes may be a little scary for the less-than-PG crowd, but otherwise there is plenty of humor on all levels to keep everyone amused.

Watch this movie with someone who will get all the subtle nods to chess and card games.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

With 3 Oscar nominations and 1 win, you'd think I might like this movie better. With the likes of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alan Rickman, all of whom I usually love, you'd think I find some pleasure in the acting. Toss in Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat himself, and you'd think the comic relief impact would be good enough to lighten even Tim Burton's darkest vision. Not so in any of the cases above.

I found the story without any redeeming value. I found the acting so over-the-top that I was not sure when to laugh and when to cry. It was easy enough to know when to look away. Okay, so this exposes me as a horror film wimp. I don't see the point, and freely admit it. I do love a thriller, and this was far more the thriller than horror story. But as a thriller, it was to predictable.

Even if you don't read the DVD jacket, it becomes obvious what the barber will do, and how he will dispose to the bodies. Even if you have not seen the Broadway production, you should figure out fairly soon who proves to be the barber's undoing.

Please don't get me wrong, I did not dislike ALL the movie. The music was great. Stephen Sondheim is wonderful. From West Side Story to this, he has proven the master of setting complex dialogue set to music.

Having said ALL this, let me add some caveats. If you usually like Tim Burton's work, you will most likely "get" this movie. You may even love it.

I suggest watch it with someone who gets, or even loves, you.