Before I could even begin writing about Alice in Wonderland, I had to dig through eleven pages of a friend’s Facebook links to find this open letter to Pixar. It’s a great piece in general, and you should all read it, but what stuck with me was the desire for a Pixar movie that gives us a character girls can dress up as for Halloween. A character that is not a princess.

It’s a different studio, and Alice is obviously a privileged character, but she is not a princess. She is a champion. It is seriously awesome. Dear Hollywood: More, please!

Going in, I was glad to know it was not a Tim Burton film in the way I’d expect. I’ve since learned that was deliberate. It is visually Burtonesque, but the story and pacing is definitely your straight ahead fantasy adventure. The opening title (including the score) felt extremely Harry Potter. There is definite cheese, particularly at the end — very “Oh, Hatter, I think I’ll miss you most of all!”

Our Alice is now 19, returning to Wonderland, and is played by the lovely Mia Wasikowska, who bears a striking resemblance to a young Gwyneth Paltrow, except she’s not irritating. Johnny Depp is, of course, brilliant as the Hatter, and Helena Bonham-Carter does great work, even through CGI, as the Red Queen. The voice casting is spot-on, particularly Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat & Alan Rickman as the Blue Caterpillar. The oddest performance is from Anne Hathaway, who reminded me of Michael Keaton in Much Ado About Nothing; you know they’re doing what the director has asked of them, but why he’s asked it is a mystery.

Visually, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. 3D was not part of the original plan, but works strikingly well, even though it’s apparently fated to always give me a headache. I do wish, clichéd though it may have been, that the 3D had only been used in Underland. In the above world scenes, it felt forced, but in Underland it lent a fantastic texture, particularly in the numerous scenes shot at ground level, and to anything involving mist, or smoke, or the Cheshire Cat.

It’s great fun overall, though, once Burtonspectations have been adjusted, and worth seeing in the theater.

Most of this batch is nearly two weeks old. I apologize.

* The Golden Compass was extremely pretty, and, I thought, very well-cast, but very cold. I didn’t connect with a lot of it emotionally, whereas the book was devastating in places. Things that were particularly awesome: Iorek Byrnison, Lee Scoresby, Pantalaimon. Things that did not bother me: where it ended in relation to where the book does. I still think that to end it at the same place as the book would have been really weird in terms of pacing, and that the way it did end felt right for the end-of-the-first-part-of-a-trilogy. So there. Not that there will be more of the trilogy, unless it does really well overseas.

* I’m Not There, while not perfect, was definitely the most interesting film I saw that weekend. Cate, of course, is marvelous, and I was surprised to be so taken with Richard Gere’s segment. The world-building there was made for me, though, the West and masquerade and religion. Christian Bale’s portion was terrible, and Ben Whishaw had potential but was poorly used. Totally worth watching, though.

* Sweeney Todd was one heck of a movie to see at 10:30am on a Sunday, I gotta say. Though I don’t know the show, I know the story, which put me ahead of a portion of the audience. I can’t even imagine going into that cold. Visually it was *stunning*. The opening credits are up online, and watching them last week made me want to see it again. I just wish that Burton had held back a little on the blood. Slightly less cartoonish would have been more effective, but I am still really grateful that Burton got it instead of Rob Marshall, as was rumored after Chicago.

* On the third try, I finally made it to a screening of Juno. I am so excited for all the well-deserved attention Ellen Page is getting now. Basically it is fantastic and everyone needs to see it. And then buy the soundtrack. But please do not freak out Kimya Dawson.

* Finally, tonight I saw The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I had been a little hesitant about this, not because I didn’t think the movie would be good, but just because this has been a really long week, and it’s in French and about a fellow who is paralyzed and can only move his left eyelid. I thought I might have to be in a particular mood to see it. If that’s true, then I was. It was gorgeous, difficult, and utterly captivating. I’m really glad I went.