Year: 1951
Studio: Disney
Country: US
Language: English
"One pill makes you larger
and one pill makes you small
and the ones that mother gives you
don't do anything at all"
Alice in Wonderland wasn't a critical or commercial success in the 50's, but it gained a cult following a decade later and has maintained a steady fan-base ever since. There are very few Disney flicks from that era which have aged as well as Alice, even fewer which are so casually infused into modern pop culture as references. Notably, in The Matrix the protagonist Neo (Keanu Reeve) must "follow the white rabbit" if he is to learn more about his destiny.
On a golden afternoon, young Alice follows a White Rabbit, who disappears down a nearby rabbit hole. Quickly following him, she tumbles into the burrow - and enters the mad, topsy-turvy world of Wonderland.
Alice in Wonderland took five years to complete, but was in development for over ten years before it entered active production.It was originally meant to have been a blend of live-action and animation, but rival studio Paramount rushed an Alice picture to market and Disney shelved the project. It was Disney's most expensive production to date, but reviewers of the time considered it kind of a mess and an unsuccessful attempt to mix the work of multiple directors over a difficult adaptation. I personally feel that it makes great use of Lewis Carroll's source material, although it is far more psychedelic in tone.
Scholars of Carroll might detest this "adaptation", because it isn't exactly faithful to the original material. However, I'd argue that Disney improved a great work. The animators did not hold back with the colour; rather they went all out and gave the story a rich and vibrant settings to go along with the peculiar characters. Everybody in this picture was twisted in their own way; who could forget the madhatter or the chcshire cat? Alice has incredibly subversive themes for 1951, but unfortunately it's not at all subtle when shown for a modern audience.
Entertaining, historically important and warped. Alice in Wonderland is a picture that isn't easy to forget. While it's reputation as a "trippy" stoner movie may be a bit exaggerated (I've seen much stranger animation) it definitely is worth checking out. Praise it! 4/5
Alice is my all-time favorite Disney heroine. She’s so charming and adorable, and Kathryn Beaumont portrayed her perfectly. Also, her bloomers (long frilly underwear) are very cute, and I just love the way her dress poofs up like a parachute. I love the part where she flips over as she waves goodbye to Dinah. And “In a World of My Own” is a very beautiful song I could listen to all day.
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