Alice In Wonderland… How I Find It…

This movie has been something that I was looking forward to watch since it was announced. I got to watch it last Saturday. I met with Hazy, Bianki and Usagijen at the Glorietta 4 cinemas. The anticipation has been creeping up on me since the moment I woke up around 8 am. The night before, I texted Bianki to inform her that I would be meeting with Usagijen at around 3pm. The three of us met at Starbucks, talked about the things that we have basically been up to while waiting for Hazy.

The movie started as scheduled. I was practically trembling the moment it started. I was in awe. It started with a flashback and a reminder from Alice’s Dad, something that she has been keeping with her as she was growing up.

Just like the old animated version, she followed the rabbit into the hole and she fell into her little wonderland. It felt like I was also drawn into her world as cinematography signals the start of her journey.

Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, The White Rabbit, The Mouse, The Mad Hatter and the blue caterpillar named Ambrose. They were all there, waiting for her return. There was a bird that looked like a chocobo and the red knight reminded me of Jubei-chan with the heart-shaped eye patch, which was also pointed out by Bianki.

As the movie progresses, the 3D glasses started to play their role as the screen starts to come alive and pieces of wood, rock and dust get hurled at the audience. Movies usually get the better of me. They drag me into an alternate world where I feel as though I have become part of the story, a witness on the sidelines.

With this one, I saw how much they have loved Alice as a little girls, but yet have to accept that she has grown up. The White Rabbit insists that there could not be a mistake that he has brought the “Alice”. Only the Mad Hatter believed in her absolutely although, he claims that she has lost her “much-ness”.

Whatever “much-ness” is, it made me think and reflect, “am I one of those who also lost her much-ness” as I grew up?” I honestly don’t know, but things like thee make me pause and reflect in my own life with all the crazy things that has been happening lately, I seem to need someone to remind me of the person that I am, the person that I was so I can recall the person I want to be with.

Going back to the movie, Helena Bonham Carter has become the best chibi Queen of Hearts. I love how she screams “Off with their head!” She carries her role with a lot of much-ness and it just makes the character a cute little villain you’d love to swat. She brought out the Queen’s naivete and ignorance as she throws her weight around. “Being feared is easier than being loved”… Her motto and her lifestyle that she upheld even until the end.

Anne Hathaway would have made a nice White Queen, only that her arms made her look so awkward. The White Queen was supposed to be the good guy here. What happened in the movie was that the White Queen merely waited for the champion to save her ass from the Red Queen as written in the scroll. She may have been working in the background, but I was hoping that she would have been more visibly working against chibi-chan.

Mia Wasikowska reminds me so much of Gwyneth Paltrow. Her Alice is indeed someone who needs to prove her much-ness as she tries to prove who she is to herself. She wants to become the “Alice” that they are expecting to be but she showed that she wants to be that “Alice” who she wants her to be. Her journey has shown her fears and doubts as she slowly realizes what kind of Alice she really is.

The Mad Hatter has grown to love and accept the little Alice who has grown up. Despite her losing the much needed much-ness, he never stopped believing in her. In this movie, it was shown that he actually is the White Queen’s knight and a good one at that, too. He was able to infiltrate the Red court and has gathered data that is needed for the operation. Johnny Depp, as always, puts the character to life with a cut above the rest. His Mad Hatter is just the kind of mad hatter you would love despite his madness. As Alice said, “you might have indeed gone mad, but all the best ones are”

Jubei-Chan Red Knight is a cheating, lecherous bastard who sucks up to whoever is going to give him that opportunity to survive. The kind of people I personally loathe. Opportunists who suck their hosts dry. His sanction in the end serves him right. Stupid knight is stupid.

Ches is as annoying as ever. An opportunist to the core but with a good heart. He is the person who represents those we meet in our life that draws us to a win-win situation where we would sometime only realize later. He is the kind of ally who would do what he can, only if he can. I was hoping I would see more of him in the movie, but alas, he appears and disappears in just too little a time.

Ambrose seems to represent Alice herself… At least, that’s how I see it. She is the caterpillar in search for who she is, waiting for her cocoon to envelope her as she metamorphose into another being and learn to fly. She found most of her much-ness when Ambrose revealed to her what she has answered him in the past.

Our life is a journey into the Underland. Not every strange encounter is a dream, but could be an experience that would make us realize we have that much needed much-ness for us to slay that Jobberwockie that hinders our own growth. Sometimes, All we have to do is to allow ourselves to fall into that rabbit hole, take the ride and find our way back up.

It was a great afternoon for me. We had dinner after the movie. Another time spent with friends and good company. Thanks for joining me, ladies. I had a great time. Sa uulitin!