Alice In Wonderland parents guide

Alice In Wonderland Parent Guide

This new take on an old tale is surprisingly engaging. For older children and teens, it might even be worth jumping into the nearest rabbit hole to go and see.

Overall B

In this adaptation of Lewis Carroll's work, Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is now 19 years old and returning to her former friends and adventure. Parents may also want to wait until their little ones are a bit more grown-up before venturing into this version of Wonderland (envisioned by Director Tim Burton).

Release date March 5, 2010

Violence C
Sexual Content A-
Profanity A-
Substance Use C

Why is Alice In Wonderland rated PG? The MPAA rated Alice In Wonderland PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar.

Run Time: 109 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

If you were one of the many left bemused and confused by Disney’s animated Alice in Wonderland from 1951, the first thing you’ll be happy to know about this 2010 live-action/animated hybrid version is the existence of a real story! (If, on the other hand, you did find meaning in that “mad” production, then my hat’s off to you. Unfortunately, it just made my head spin.)

Under the direction of Tim Burton, little Alice has matured into a young lady (Mia Wasikowska) living in Victorian England. Obliged to accept the public proposal of a suitor she doesn’t care for, she instead runs away from the crowd and follows a strange rabbit wearing a waistcoat. Moments later, she’s down the rabbit hole and in a world she is certain she has visited in recurring dreams from her childhood.

However, Wonderland isn’t quite the slaphappy place it once was. Bumping into the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), Alice soon discovers that her coming has been foretold as the one who will bring peace back to the land by slaying the Red Queen’s fearful Jabberwocky (a huge flying dragon) with the coveted Vorpal sword and restore power to the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). Of course the evil Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) isn’t pleased with this prospect. She currently holds dominion over the land and guards the sought after weapon with her vicious Bandersnatch (some sort of hairy, toothy creature). Now she only wants to find the prophesied “Alice” and be “off with her head!”

Fans of Lewis Carroll will recognize Vorpals, Jabberwocks and Bandersnatches as being parts of his famous nonsense poems and stories of Alice. This new adaptation deftly integrates many of these original features, which pays homage to the classic author’s works, but likely won’t please purists. Along with reimagining the plot, the film offers a very 21st Century empowered woman—a conclusion that simply wouldn’t have happened in 19th Century England.

From a family perspective, parents will be happy to know there is hardly any sexual content or language, but violence will be an issue for younger viewers. Battles with swords and the explicit chopping off of a fantastical creature’s head are the most explicit of the many moments of peril and ghoulish images in this film. And, yes, for all those who were convinced the original Alice was nothing more than a drug fantasy, the hookah-smoking caterpillar is still puffing away—although the movie never mentions just what is in the device. (Hookahs may contain anything from hallucinogenic drugs to tobacco or benign spices.) While there is no evidence of the character being inebriated or “high,” anyone conversing with a blue, talking insect could be accused of being in that condition.

Looking quite stunning in a 3D presentation and providing some creative answers to the questions of Alice’s first adventure in Wonderland, this new take on an old tale is surprisingly engaging. For older children and teens, it might even be worth jumping into the nearest rabbit hole to go and see.

Directed by Tim Burton. Starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham-Carter, Crispin Glover.. Running time: 109 minutes. Theatrical release March 5, 2010. Updated

Alice In Wonderland
Rating & Content Info

Why is Alice In Wonderland rated PG? Alice In Wonderland is rated PG by the MPAA for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar.

As Alice ventures in Wonderland, she has many falls and perilous encounters. Ferocious creatures attack characters (one is injured and the bloody, festering wound is shown). An army pursues its enemy and threatens them with spears and swords. Battles break out and participants are tossed, injured and crushed by rocks. A fiery dragon sets a village ablaze (deaths are implied). An angry queen repeatedly orders, "Off with their heads." She kills various characters, including a frog whose tadpoles she plans to eat. An execution is depicted with a hooded executioner who is seen swinging his ax at the victim’s neck. Ghoulish images include decapitated heads (some seen floating in a mote, another rolls down a flight of stairs) and dismembered fingers (which are cooked into a potion). A creature’s tongue is cut off and it falls writhing to the ground. Several characters have their eyes stabbed, one of which is plucked out by a sword and then carried around in a net bag. Blood is collected in a vial and later drunk. A woman smacks a man’s face. A man attempts to stab a woman. Alice consumes some magical foods that cause her to grow or shrink, resulting in the need for her to find new attire. (No nudity is seen, but many of her impromptu clothes show her bares shoulders and back.) Cleavage is revealed in other charters’ costumes. A few sexual references are made, as well as a brief discussion about corsets and stockings. A married man is caught kissing another woman. A caterpillar smokes a hookah pipe. Language consists of a couple of mild expletives and the infrequent use of terms of deity.

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Alice In Wonderland Parents' Guide

Why do you think Disney has opted to include a more conventional story and structure to this new version of Alice in Wonderland compared to their 1951 animation? Are movie-going audiences any different today than they were in the 1950s?

Lewis Carroll (the pseudonym of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) is best known for authoring the books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. This movie borrows heavily from his poem Jabberwocky, which appeared in his second Alice story. You can find his novels (first published in 1865 and 1872 respectively) at your local library.

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Alice In Wonderland movie is June 1, 2010. Here are some details…

Release Date: 1 June 2010

Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton, releases to DVD and Blu-ray with the following featurettes:

- Finding Alice - Tim Burton’s vision for the characters.

- The Mad Hatter - The creation of Johnny Depp’s character.

- Effecting Wonderland - Behind-the-scenes look at the various technologies used.

Alice in Wonderland on Blu-ray also offers these featurettes:

- The Futterwacken Dance

- The Red Queen - The creation of Helena Bonham Carter character.

- Time-Lapse: Sculpting the Red Queen - Time-lapse photography showing Helena Bonham Carter transforming into her character.

- The White Queen - An interview with Anne Hathaway.

- Scoring Wonderland - Composer Danny Elfman.

- Stunts of Wonderland

- Making the Proper Size - A look at the visual effects process of growing and shrinking Alice.

- Cakes of Wonderland - Meet the creators of the cakes seen in the movie.

- Tea Party Props - With prop master Doug Harlocker.

Related home video titles:

Fantastical worlds are also depicted in the movies MirrorMask, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (also staring Johnny Depp). Actor Johnny Depp (who plays the Mad Hatter) and director Tim Burton have worked on other projects together, including: The Corpse Bride and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

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