December 26, 2014

Movie Night: Alice in Wonderland (1951).


Review #683: Alice in Wonderland.

Cast
Kathryn Beaumont (Alice), Ed Wynn (Mad Hatter), Jerry Colonna (March Hare), Richard Haydn (Caterpillar), Sterling Holloway (Cheshire Cat), Verna Felton (Queen of Hearts), Pat O'Malley (Tweedledum and Tweedledee/The Walrus and the Carpenter/Mother Oyster), Bill Thompson (White Rabbit/The Dodo), and Heather Angel (Dinah, Alice's sister) Directed by Clyde Geronimi (#178 - Peter Pan, #373 - Cinderella, #511 - The Three Caballeros, and #660 - Sleeping Beauty), Wilfred Jackson (#178 and #373) and Hamilton Luske (#178 and #373)

Review
It's hard to make much judgement on a movie like this. On the one hand, it's an imaginative movie that also creates a world that makes no sense. The characters are drawn really well but are also insane. The movie is short but it also could've not have its ending be so abrupt. But on the whole, the movie is entertaining. Beaumont does a really good job as Alice due to watching how she responds to the inane world around her, which contrasts well, and she is a likable character. The other characters can be annoying and fun to watch, though remembering that the world they live in is figuratively nonsensical makes the movie more enjoyable. The Walrus and the Carpenter story is pretty funny, and I'm impressed it was one actor who did all the voice work for that short bit, Pat O'Malley, which is well done. If the movie had been a little longer it might've made for a little more story element (and perhaps an ending that isn't just "let's have some tea".), but the movie is fine nonetheless, and it is quickly enjoyable, and I'd recommend it. But of course I'd recommend the original novel by Lewis Carroll as well, either before or after watching this, so there you go.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

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