Alice In Wonderland is a dark spot on Tim Burton's once bright career. Rejecting the source material, it was saturated with CGI and lacked substance, effectively making Burton a parody of himself. It was however a massive box office success, leading to this long-delayed sequel six years later.
Alice Through The Looking Glass (adapted from Lewis Carroll's sequel novel in mostly name only) continues the story of Alice (Mia Wasikowska), who after many years, returns to Wonderland and finds herself on an adventure across time to save the life of the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp).
No one asked for this sequel, though surprisingly, it's a fun improvement on the original. This time under director James Bobin (Flight Of The Conchords), it's tonally kid-friendly yet dark, addresses ideas of woman's rights, family and time and is an entertaining visual treat (particularly the imaginative time-travel sections). It isn't perfect either, with questionable motives, gaping plot holes and an over-focus on the Mad Hatter while others are completely underdeveloped.
Amazingly, practically the entire original cast returns (including a brief, final role for Alan Rickman). Highlights include Wasikowska leading with confidence, Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen still a hoot and Sacha Baron Cohen's Time a humorous addition.
Alice Through The Looking Glass is a surprisingly entertaining fantasy that should particularly mesmerise younger audiences.
