I Loved Alice in Wonderland (2010) in IMAX 3D!

I knew I was going to see Alice in Wonderland (3D) at the Imax from the very second I saw the first advertisement for it. Growing up, I LOVED various versions of Alice in Wonderland including the cartoon version and the Sammy Davis Jr. version. When people asked me what my fav movies were, I often forgot about Alice because people don't make as big a deal out of it as they do with movies like Mary Poppins and Wizard of Oz. However, when I saw the ad for Alice in 3D, all those memories of the old Alice came back and I simply could not wait to see it!

My mom and I put it on our calendar and bought tickets the week it came out. We picked a weekday night knowing that the weekends would be nuts, and the weekends were nuts! Alice was sold out at the Imax each Saturday and Sunday. I think it should be noted that we saw this at the "Classic" Imax theater. Other theaters are starting to say they have an Imax. While according to the Imax website, there are 2 types of Imax - the Classic is bigger (and I'd guess better!). So check the Imax website before you buy tickets to any Imax movie to find a Classic theater in your area.

Now on to the movie!

Plotwise (no spoilers): I didn't know until about a week before that the movie Alice in Wonderland (2010) was actually not a remake but instead a sequel. They really should have given it a name to reflect that and differentiate it from the originals. I avoid previews for movies when I know that I am going to see them, so I didn't know much of anything going in (and I'm not going to tell you much past the first few minutes either - no need to spoil it!) The plot focuses on a grown up Alice who finds herself running away from the guy who wants to marry her. Grown up Alice has been dreaming about Wonderland for years, but she thinks it is all just a fantasy... until she ends up there again!

The first few minutes of Wonderland will make you think this is a remake as it seems to be exactly the same as the other time she ended up in Wonderland. However, I guarantee you it is not a remake :) Just wait and see, things definitely get different! I won't tell you anymore, except that I really liked the plot of this movie and thought it was a cute idea.

Visually Speaking: The movie was very well done in my opinion. I was shocked to read reviews on IMDB saying that it was awful because I thought it was wonderful. No, it doesn't really look like the cartoon version or the Sammy Davis Jr version, but it does look great. Tim Burton definitely put his own spin on Wonderland and it was visually pleasing. Don't worry, there was no creepy aspects to it as with some of Burton's other movies. It was actually very pretty. Now put all of that in 3D and it just gets better.

Acting: I heard a lot of people criticize Johnny Depp saying he dropped in and out of many character and keep changing personality. What I say to those people is - HELLO!! He is the Mad Hatter! Meaning he is crazy! And therefore I thought his switching personalities was perfect for the part :) Mia Wasikowska was adorable as Alice. I thought she fit the part perfectly, although I don't remember the original Alice having an accent. As we go on this journey with Mia, we really believe her as Alice and believe this is all some wonderful dream to her. I didn't even know that Anne Hathaway was going to be in the movie until I saw her as the White Queen. I loved her. The White Queen has some strange personality traits that some reviewers complained about, but I thought it was perfect. It is Wonderland, meaning things are not supposed to be "normal" all the time. What fun would that be? Finally, Helena Bonham Carter was funny as the Red Queen with a humungous head!

Rating: Alice in Wonderland (2010) is rated PG, but it was getting close to PG-13 at some parts. It may be scary for young kids. This is not your innocent child-like Alice! Instead, in this movie Alice is a warrior, and people's heads really do get cut off. Besides that, the language will probably bore kids that are too young because there were times where I didn't even understand what they were saying. Combine their accents with made-up words and it does get confusing at time. I don't think the movie was aimed at very young children, and I probably wouldn't take anyone under 10.

Overall: I recommend Alice to anyone who enjoyed the originals growing up, or to anyone who just enjoys a good fantasy 3D movie at the Imax! If you don't know the original story, you can still watch this one without being too confused. Don't let the negative reviews keep you away because it will only be at the Imax for a short time and then you'll never be able to see it on that screen again! Check your movie listings and buy your tickets today :) Enjoy!!