Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland
NR | 22 December 1933 (USA)
Alice in Wonderland Trailers

In Victorian England, a bored young girl dreams that she has entered a fantasy world called Wonderland, populated by even more fantastic characters.

Reviews
LouHomey From my favorite movies..
Michelle Ridley The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity
Stephanie There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Delight Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.
WakenPayne I personally haven't read the books but I have heard they are cleaver social satire and a quintessential children's book as an extremely illogical story. However I do think that while there are good things in this movie there are a lot of problems with it as well. Being that I think everyone knows the plot of "Alice follows Rabbit, tumbles down the rabbit hole and enters a bizarre world" I don't think that's necessary. I will quickly say the good things. Well, I really liked the performance of the girl that played Alice, I think the make-up while you would have to be told the actors are playing them is fantastic as is the set design and the movie is appropriately weird. Okay what's bad? Well The dialogue, I know it's almost lifted from the book (or seemingly) and I know the intention is to be illogical but... I think reading this dialogue would be much better than listening to it and after a while it does get very very annoying. Adding to this I think one of the reasons why this movie can fail is that most of it is just that dialogue and barely anything visually interesting after a while, I know I said the make-up and sets are fantastic and they are but there is really just them talking to Alice after a while. I'd say it is better than it's reputation but then again I still don't think it's that good.
Michael_Elliott Alice in Wonderland (1933) ** (out of 4)This Paramount adaptation was considered a complete dud when it was first released even though it featured an all-star cast that includes W.C. Field, Gary Cooper and Cary Grant. The film features Charlotte Henry playing the young Alice who goes through the looking glass and finds herself in Wonderland where she encounters all sorts of strange creatures. You know, this is a film that's either going to work on you or its not. For me, the picture simply didn't work for a number of reasons. After watching this movie I looked around to see what others were saying. Many think this film bombed because the all-star cast are pretty much hidden in their costumes and a lot of times you can't make out who is playing what. Others will say the film works because the actors are never put in front of the characters and this here helps stay faithful to the story. Well, normally I'd agree that the story should remain higher up than actors but it's a tad bit different when a studio tries to sell a film on its star power. The star power here actually turns out to be pretty weak because you can't tell who is playing what unless you keep a copy of the cast of characters with you while you watch the picture or you happen to remember the three-minute opening credits where we see the character and the actor playing it. I will say that I thought Henry was pretty good in the role as Alice and managed to make you believe the character. I thought she had the perfect look for Alice and also brought that sense of wonder needed for the material. The special effects for the most part hold up extremely well when viewed today and there's no question that the sets and costumes are impressive. ALICE IN WONDERLAND is a mixed bag for me but the thing is certainly weird enough to where it works as a curio but nothing else.
johnstonjames When i was a kid and would watch this i always thought it was weird and disturbing. when i was really little i remember being sort of afraid of it. now i think it's a hoot.I've always liked black and white films and feel they achieve stark images with lots of contrast. it's even weirder when the film is a fantasy and features a variety of effects and gimmicks, then it really brings out the dream-like qualities of the black and white.I've never thought this film was as fun or delightful as 'The Wizard of Oz' movie, but i've changed my opinion of it and have found a new respect for the film. it isn't as sweet as 'Oz', but it's a lot weirder and freaky. even though i have always really liked Charlotte Henry(little Bo Peep from 'Wooden Soldiers') her performance doesn't have the touching depth of Judy Garland's Dorothy.the only thing here that i found i was still afraid of was W.C. Field's Humpty Dumpty. i just can't get used to it. it's just plain horrifying.the decades of time have softened the shadows and edges of this movie and taken away a lot of it's nightmarish effect. instead of nightmarish, it now seems quaint and kooky.
kadiebel I remember this movie fondly watching it as a young girl in the 60's and will never forget it...I'm obsessed with viewing this film again...I searched video stores in the Twin cities...searched the internet... talked to anyone who would listen...and finally, sadly, found out that Paramount and another corporation are fighting over the rights to the movie (read that on the internet)... Please resolve your differences so we can all enjoy the classic again..It was aired on TMC to honor W.C. Fields I was told by co-worker...which I didn't see my heart just sank at the thought I missed it...All the baby boomers would love to see it on DVD...HELP