Monday, July 18, 2016

Alice Through the Looking Glass

DIRECTOR: James Bobin  LEAD CAST: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, Rhys Ifans, Matt Lucas, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen  SCREENWRITER: Linda Woolverton  PRODUCER: Tim Burton, Joe Roth, Suzanne Todd, Jennifer Todd  EDITOR: Andrew Weisblum  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Danny Elfman  GENRE: Fantasy Adventure  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Stuart Dryburgh  DISTRIBUTOR: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures  LOCATION: United States  RUNNING TIME:   112 minutes
Technical assessment:  3.5
Moral assessment: 3.25
CINEMA rating:  PG 13
After three years of sailing in the Straits of Malacca, feisty captain  Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) returns to London only to learn from her mother that their family company and properties have been taken over by her former fiancĂ©.  They may still keep at least her mother’s house but in exchange for her father’s treasured ship.  Alice is not willing to give it up.  On the advice of her butterfly friend Absolem, Alice travels through a mirror to Underland where she reunites with her friends including  the Mad Hatter—Tarrant Hightopp (Johnny Depp) who is sick due to the misfortune that has come upon his family.  To help the Mad Hatter she steals the Chronosphere and successfully travels back to the past after many struggles in time and space.  When the mirror appears again, Alice returns to real time and reunites with her mother who then gives her full support to keep the ship.
A sequel of 2010 ‘s Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass is marked by spectacular visual effects to the delight of the viewers, especially the magical transition into a different time and space. These are put together in a well-developed plot where characters were logically built up. Acting, particularly, Wasikowska, is performed excellently with meaningful delivery of lines. Supporting actors/actresses also did well in their acting and helped keep the focus of the story on the main character, thus making Alice Through the Looking Glass a woman’s film because it highlights female strength.   
Valuing family is a noble attitude and so is honoring the parents. A person who embraces these values may possess innate kindness to value other relationships like friendships and willing to take sacrifices for a good cause.  Alice Through the Looking Glass presents this positive message through the character of an empowered woman. She bravely holds captainship of water navigation in honor of her father, she takes time out to think over crucial decisions and cares for her mother, she knows priorities and when time is of the essence.  While both giving and seeking forgiveness may be difficult for some people, the film projects this value as something that frees individuals from life’s miseries and brings them to a peaceful reconciliation and the truest happiness.  The film is loaded with action fantasy and some dialogues may need the guidance of adults for young viewers to understand.