Relatively New: Alice in Wonderland

Confession: Tim Burton is one of my favorite directors, and Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors. Call me a wannabe or say I've jumped on the band wagon, but it's true. Interestingly enough, Tim Burton's latest Alice in Wonderland left me unimpressed with both of them. Tim Burton certainly let his creativity show, and Johnny Depp was satisfactory, but it was Helena Bonham Carter who stole the show. She was a brilliant Red Queen.
The story is actually quite different from the book or Disney version; in this version all of the characters in Wonderland are convinced Alice has "returned" to save them from the Red Queen. She must learn how to help them before the Frabjous Day arrives--a day prophesied to bring about the Red Queen's demise.
I saw the film in 3D on opening night with all the creepy emo children and my sister (clarification: my sister is neither emo nor creepy). The 3D was fun, but probably not worth the extra dollars.
Good:

• Helena Bohnam Carter is smashing as the Red Queen. I might even say she is one of my top 10 favorite movie characters. 
• It's preeeetty. Every scene is eye candy. Seeing it in 3D is not necessary at all, but still fun.
• It pays homage to a lot of Lewis Carroll references, including the brilliant poem, "Jabberwocky."

Bad:

• I'm actually not sure if this is a bad thing or a good thing, but I feel as if I would have been lost if I wasn't familiar with the true blue Alice in Wonderland stories of original author Lewis Carroll. If these words sound unfamiliar to you, you might want to read the book before viewing the film: bandersnatch, jabberwocky, jubjub bird, Frabjous Day.
• Overall, I felt that Tim Burton was trying a little too hard. I appreciate his weirdness, but in this film it didn't feel natural.

Rating:
3.5