Fanboys Anonymous

The dawn of the new year has a lot of movie buzz with the upcoming Oscar nominations and ceremony on the horizon, so I think now is a good time to talk about movies. Whether it be opinions on them like reviews, hopes or wish lists for future films you would like to see on the big screen, no one can deny a better time to shoot the breeze about movies than now.

So after that long winded prelude, it's time for me to talk about a film that I want, but haven't yet got to see: a live action Alice in Wonderland film that does the entire book justice. Over the years since Lewis Carroll's publication of the piece of classic literature there have been tons (and I mean tons) of different adaptions of Alice in Wonderland. There's the silent films done in the 20s, a multitude of animated adaptations (one which we will touch upon later in this article) as well mini TV Series, and various other media adaptations that you could think of.


Now, I do believe that there is an animated film that does justice to the book - or at least does it well - and it's really the only Alice film that everyone remembers: the 1951 animated classic by Walt Disney Pictures. It's the one I believe has stood the test of time and continues to do so...but why? Is it the colorful animation done by the perfect studio to adapt such a crazy chaotic story of a girl falling down a rabbit hole, or simple yet still gritting nostalgia? I don't really know to be honest. It's my favorite of the bunch and it still doesn't follow the book properly. There was no Gryphon or Mocking Turtle (though they appeared in some Jello commercial the movie was endorsing) and even the baby-turned-pig scene, despite being considered and storyboarded, were never used.



For whatever reason, this version has held up the best for me, as well as a good majority of other people as well. It's not the only adaptation you can find as there are plenty. For example(s) there was a television mini-series that aired in the 80s that a bit of fun to watch and of course it's main highlight actually being the Jabberwocky making it's first live action appearance and in the process making Godzilla look more terrifying and realistic. Then we have the Hallmark produced movie for television which from my memory is the live action rendition that I remember the most clearly and I'm going to say this now it's still the best live action adaption of Alice In Wonderland to date. Decent cast, follows the book far better than the Disney film, and does what it's supposed to do right. And like the 80s version this was once again a movie made for television and it looks really good for what it's supposed to be. Decent effects for such a production and as I mentioned decent casting as well. The only thing missing from it was a larger budget, a little more hype, and someone who really wants to make a legitimate film that gives Carroll's book the justice it deserves. Anyway that 1999 special still holds up really well in my opinion and both televised films can actually be found on DVD, if that thought crossed your mind from say curiosity's sake.




More adaptions are out there that are live action that I am going to touch upon right now. in 1988 a very artistically dark film called "Alice" was released. It uses similar creatures from the story via stop motion puppets and has Alice go through a series of different events that are somewhat depressing and gritty. Unlike the book's crazy and colorful encounters and predicaments. It was Czech made film by director Jan Švankmajer who put his own little twist on the story, characters and all other elements of Wonderland. He made his own and in the right I have to give him credit for standing out from the bunch but at the same time as good as this version may be it has nothing do with Lewis Carroll's actual book.



Which brings me to our final film on the semi-rant brigade and that being the 2010 Tim Burton film, "Alice In Wonderland"now the reason I found this movie such a disappointment was because after Burton followed the book of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" more closely than the actual Wonka film did (not saying it was the better movie by any means) and that Disney who produced what I stated earlier to be the best film adaption of Alice was producing and distributing this movie I thought for sure I was going to get the live action film I had been waiting for since my childhood. When I actually see the movie what do I get? Basically a freaking sequel as the story in the movie is Alice under stress over her upcoming wedding returns to Wonderland as an adult and in turn helps the people of Wonderland on a new quest, well the hype certainly fooled me into believing it was actually going to be book related, but again the Jabberwocky being in it and on top of looking great, being voiced by Christopher Lee was pretty amazing I must admit.



Now that I've gotten all or better yet most of the previous Alice adaptations it's time to talk about what I would like to see in a live action Alice film. First off a great film crew with a director and other people behind the project who will take the proper care and necessary work to translate such a difficult and puzzling piece of literature into a compelling motion picture. Have all scenes from the book represented in a manner that doesn't cause any complaint or nit pick. Actually feature the Jabberwocky, the Gryphon and Mock Turtle, Pig baby, etc. Everything we've all read from the classic novel must be represented with not a thing missing. Every nitpick about each of these film adaptations, even the animated ones is that they are missing certain points in the book that are too distracting to discard.




Certain scenes I would like to see some serious character dilemma or peril going for Alice in certain precarious situations for instances when she grows large enough to become trapped in the house in every adaption it annoys her that she's basically immobile but never freaks out that she completely trapped and stuck inside a resident's home. She only starts to get worried when they threaten to burn the house down because obviously she would burn too because she's trapped within it. Really show a true emotionally vulnerable side to her that we haven't seen before and I think a little more of that with colorful fun Alice she has been in a good portion of her movies bar Švankmajer's and Burton's films, I think it could make for some compelling drama in what is for the most part a rather colorful and zany story.



In conclusion my fellow Carroll fans I think we can all agree it was long wait to finally see a film adaption to Alice In Wonderland waiting from 1999 all the way to 2010, then it ends up being a disappointing sequel story. I don't know if it's going to take me to make this movie to finally have that book have it's justice given but I hope the right crew can get it done sometime before me. The original Disney animated film set the bar for film adaptations and the 1999 Hallmark made televised movie is the best in terms of a a live action film but both of them can be topped easily with a simple direction of following one man's crazy story but who knows maybe these two movies will stand the test of my lifetime as being the two best Alice movies made as I said only time will tell.

This has been Braeden, contributor of Fanboys Anonymous wishing you all a happy New Year/2013 and there will be more articles from your's truly to come out in the near future. Also a parding question has Through The Looking Glass ever been given film justice? Will it ever be given such? We may have to wait until next time to find the answer to that one folks.