Alice in Wonderland (Masterpiece Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie Poor Tape Quality
Review: I purchased this movie for my daughter for Christmas and was delighted with the movie it's self but the tape qulity was faulty or old. The movie will flicker back and forth between color and black and white. VERY IRRITATING! The cover had poor qulity for being a "New Movie" it had aged plastic(yellow and brittle) not sure how long this copy had sat on the shelf before it got sent to me?

Rating:
Summary: The best animated movie ever
Review: I think this movie is absolutly incredable. I grew up watching Disney movies because they took me to another world where i could be someone else for the moment. In this movie, I didn't just get to stay in the beast's castle, or under the sea, I got to make believe in bread butterflies, singing daisies, a mad tea party, and the coolest little caterpillar i've ever seen! Alice went on quite an adventure and I was happy to share in it with her. Alice reminds me of myself as a little girl. Always zoning out into another world when i'm supposed to be doing something important. Everyone go out and buy it if you havent already!

Rating:
Summary: The most criticized Disney movie... and a Pink Floyd trick
Review: Yep... why is this animated classic constantly bashed? One reason is how it "doesn't follow the book." As much as I hate hearing about that gripe from book fanatics, I can't say much because I myself haven't read the book. But judging from some slight criticisms, the movie may have missed more important stuff. But do kids care? Most likely not. They're just interested in this odd world that Alice stumbled upon, all the colors, and all the strange creatures.

Another reason is perhaps the most asinine statement I've heard: the movie contains "drug references" or "it's about a drug trip." Oh God, how low can some people go? Just because there's a catepillar smoking doesn't mean he's "toking it." Just because Alice takes a few bites of some mushrooms doesn't mean she's "hallucinating." Just because there's a bunch of weird things going on in this movie doesn't make it a "stoner movie." First of all, what made you come to this conclusion? Someone said it? You yourself watched this movie "under the influence"? If you want a stoner movie, go watch "Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke" or "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle."

Anywho... "Alice in Wonderland" was my sister's favorite when she was a wee lass. She learned every word and scene. I picked up on it when I was small as well, but it wasn't my favorite. Watching this now as a 19 year old bum, I see it as art. This movie is something more creative than anything Disney has ever done. Alice goes on a strange journey through a place full of wonder. And the "it was all a dream" theme might be played out, but it's still an amazing story to witness. Probably my favorite out of the movie is the Walrus and Oysters story. Funny and great storytelling.

The DVD is enough to keep the hardcore DVD enthusiast happy. A couple of featurettes and a documentary as well as a Mickey Mouse short that was based on Alice's journey (yep, the mouse himself embarks on a strange journey as well). And the picture... crystal clear. It's always great to see an animated film on DVD. Everything becomes clearer and sharper, you can see every little drawn and colored detail. And the sound... hey, it's 5.1 surround sound. What more do ya want?

"Alice in Wonderland" is a great movie for the kiddies to watch. Being a former youngster whilst watching this movie, I was in awe and dazzled by what the movie offered. It's one of my favorite Disney movies as well, ranking up with "Beauty and the Beast," "Lilo & Stitch," and others. This movie is a classic in my eyes.

Note: For all you people that still think this is a stoner movie, try this lil' trick out. Remember that lil' "Wizard of Oz/Dark Side of the Moon" trick? Well, if you have this movie as well as Pink Floyd's grandioso rock opera masterpiece "The Wall"... yep, listen to Pink Floyd's "The Wall" while watching "Alice in Wonderland." Here's a lil' instructional guide. Stick in the first disc of "The Wall" and put on pause while you load up "Alice in Wonderland." Right when the movie starts playing, unpause "The Wall." The only catch is that "Comfortably Numb" MUST be skipped... and of course, pause the movie when you change discs. Once done, resume. Yep... then just sit back and enjoy "Alice in Wonderland" like never before.

Here's some "things" to see if your in-sync (don't read if ya wanna be surprised):

- When Alice picks up her cat, a baby sound should be heard and "The Thin Ice" should sync up pretty good when Alice sings.

-"Another Brick in the Wall, pt. 1" should start up as soon as Alice falls down that hole and descends into "Wonderland."

Rating:
Summary: The splender and wonder of Alice's adventures
Review: This animated film by Disney is a runaway best effort they ever produced. Nothing comes close to 'Alice in WOnderland' in Disney's arsenal of cartoons. Alice is superb and all the characters and creatures come to life in a way that is staggering on the limit of imagination.

The Walrus and the Carpenter (Little Oysters! Little Oysters!")is a favorite scene as is the Mad Tea Party. Does anyone know why at the end of 'Mad Watch! Mad Watch!' there is a second of black and white while the watch dies? I had the VHS version and now the DVD Masterpiece and it still has that one second of film in which it goes black and white. Oh well, the watch was two days slow anyway.

One can enjoy this adventure as a child, but adults can love this film as well. Like Rocky Horror, you can have a party and have everyone dress up as a character and pass around magic mushrooms just like Alice has. My girlfriend looks real sexy in her Alice outfit and she loves me when I dress up as Bill the Lizard.

The king of all is not the King of Hearts, but rather the catepillar. He has his magic hookah and teaches ALice all the recitals that any school girl should know. The part when Alice tries to finally decide to go home is awesome as well because Tulgi Wood is filled with an amazing assortment of creatures that would drive anyone mad. The birdcage bird is a favorite as are the umbrella vultures. The Chesire Cat is in full swing and loves the madness he lives in and is a part of.

The Queen of Hearts is a madwoman with a fetish for beheading. That'll teach you to plant the white roses by mistake! I have heard that this movie seriously bombed back in the 50's because Alice was not the heroine similar to Snow White or Cinderella. Fortunately teenagers and adults caught on and it is a favorite of the older crowd.

I love this cartoon and think it's better than Toy Story, The Little Mermaid, and Nemo combined.

Rating:
Summary: (3.5) Good children's movie, but mediocre book adaptation.
Review: Disney's 1951 film "Alice in Wonderland" is one that held a strange appeal for me throughout my childhood. The Queen of Hearts literally gave me nightmares - I had dreams that I was Alice, trying to escape without losing my head - and the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter depressed me, yet I kept going back and watching it again and again. The movie fascinated me. Children love any opportunity to dream and make believe, and "Alice in Wonderland" has so many creative and fantastical elements that it provides an unlimited source of stimulation. Now, as an adult having recently read for the first time the books upon which the film was based, I was inspired to purchase the Masterpiece Edition of "Alice in Wonderland" on DVD and revisit this Disney classic.

The movie is actually based on two books by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll. "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" was published in 1865, and "Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There" appeared in 1871. Nowadays the two are commonly printed together in a single volume. Unfortunately, for fans of the books, the movie adaptation does not quite live up. The biggest problem with the movie is that it just doesn't make much sense. We don't understand why the things that happen to Alice happen, like why the Mad Hatter insists on changing seats all the time at the tea party, or why the bird that Alice disrupts calls her a serpent. These things are all explained in the books, but the meaning is lost in the translation to film. Still, a child is less likely to question the logic behind events in the movie, and will be more interested in the magical feeling of the story.

The other big failing of the film is that all of the witty wordplay and riddles with which Carroll's books abound are nowhere to be found. Again, this will probably be less of an issue for a child viewer, but someone who has read the books can't help but notice the gaping hole left by this omission. Carroll's books where all ABOUT wordplay and witticism. Granted, it can be difficult to transfer such literary tricks to the screen, and most children probably would not pick up on the more complicated or obscure ones anyway, but certainly some of the simpler puns could have been carried across. Alice herself is also a less impressive heroine in the movie, as the loss of wordplay detracts from our sense of her as being exceptionally bright for a seven-year-old.

My other observations about the adaptation from book to movie are fairly neutral. Disney made significant changes to the story, but this is to be expected considering the length and complexity of Carroll's books. Some episodes from the books are left out entirely, like the scenes with the Duchess, her peppery cook, and the pig baby, and also the exchanges Alice has with the Mock Turtle and the Gryphon. The order of events that were included in the movie is also switched about, particularly because of the fact that the movie combines the plots of both books. Interestingly, the Queen of Hearts in the movie is actually an amalgamation of two different characters - the Queen of Hearts from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and the Red Queen from "Through the Looking-Glass."

However, criticisms of the book-to-movie adaptation aside, "Alice in Wonderland" is still a good, solid children's animated film. It won't hold the same appeal for older audiences, but I remember how much I enjoyed watching it as a child and am sure it will continue to inspire the imaginations of today's young viewers. The movie is also a visually impressive artistic accomplishment. The animation is superb. In fact, I'd say it's one of the most vivid and lush of all of Disney's earlier films. The brightly-colored characters really stand out against the predominantly black background.

The 2-disc Masterpiece Edition DVD has a wealth of special features. Most are geared toward the child viewer, which is to be expected, but there are some pieces that even an adult will find interesting. Disc 1 offers a "Virtual Wonderland Party" for the kids, which is rather like an interactive television show; sing-along songs of "The Unbirthday Song" and "All In A Golden Afternoon" (the song that the talking flowers perform); an "Adventures in Wonderland" game which is fairly simple, being intended for children, but which I found particularly delightful because it is actually based on riddles (I thought this was a nice way to give the movie a tie-in with the wordplay of Carroll's original story); a featurette including the song "I'm Odd," sung by the Cheshire Cat, which was one of at least 30 songs written for the film but never included; and the original Mickey Mouse short "Thru the Mirror."

Disc 2 rounds out the collection of special features with "One Hour in Wonderland," Walt Disney's first TV show, hosted by Kathryn Beaumont (the voice of Alice); "An Alice Comedy: 'Alice's Wonderland'" which was the 1923 pilot film for a TV comedy series; an "Operation Wonderland" behind-the-scenes featurette from 1951; a half-hour excerpt from the Fred Waring show, which aired in 1951; numerous deleted materials, including an interesting featurette about a song originally written for "Alice in Wonderland" but which was left out and adapted for use in "Peter Pan" in 1953; an art gallery; theatrical trailers from 1951 and from the 1974 re-release; and TV introductions from 1951 and 1964.

Rating:
Summary: TONS OF EXTRAS MAKE THIS A MUST HAVE!
Review: Alice may not be one of the truly classic Disney movies, but the host of extras on this two disc set really make this wet well worth the price. New documentary's on the making of the film, featurettes, commentary, a Mickey short, sing alongs, games, galleries, the list goes on and on. You really appreciate a studio who cares that much to give you so many extras.

The story of young Alice toppling down a rabbit hole and meeting a bunch of locals in the magical world of Wonderland is created perfectly through this Disney adaptation. Taking aspects from both the original Alice and Through The Looking Glass, the exploits of Tweedledum and Dee to the Mad Hatter's Tea party blend seemlessly in this near masterpiece.

The musical score, with each character owning their own theme music, and the various songs throughout are enjoyable.

The characters themselves shine, making each and everyone of them memorable especially the talents of Ed Wynn as The Mad Hatter and the brilliant J. Pat O'Malley as the Tweedles and their story telling equivalents.

The animation may NOT quite be on a par of the work that Disney did in the 1930's, the depth of colors and shading is lacking , but this was a time when studios started to go cheap.

Rating:
Summary: great odens raven
Review: this film, if watched on acid, could be seen as a life changing experience. she eats the mushrooms with her hooka smoking catapilar friend ( what in the name of great odins raven) and then goes on to biff the hizzazzle out. not one for the yongsters oh no. satin walks amoung you