10B | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The New Paltz Oracle
Alice in Blunderland
NO ‘WONDER’ ‘WONDER IN TIM BURTON’S VERSION OF LEWIS CARROLL’S CLASSIC Copy Editor |
By Sunya Bhutta Sunya.bhutta94@newpaltz.edu
Visually ap appealing yet mentally lacking exhilaration, “A “Alice in Wonderland” causes a rift between th the senses. The aesthetics of the sets and scenery scen were stunning but the storyline was predictable p and uninteresting. The movie had a dull beginning and end, movi with all the slightly entertaining events squished in the middle. squ The action starts when Alice falls through the rabbit hole, which took entirely too long to happen. Once she entered “Wonderland,” I became easily distracted by the amusing graphics and almost forgot that there was no real thoughtprovoking plot to follow (key word: almost). But even with advanced 3D and special effects, it’s hard to see where the wonder that is so apparent in the novel by Lewis Carroll and the original Disney adC aptation, appears in this film. a Director Tim Burton’s work is easily easi recognized through vivid animation, aactive characterization and of course an association with Johnny Depp. In his role associ as the Mad Hatter, Depp gave another brilliant and captivating captivatin performance, stealing the spotlight as the most mos intriguing character. Alice, playe played by Mia Wasikowska, wasn’t as horrendous as Anne Hathaway’s awkward perforA mance as the Whi White Queen, but there was nothing really engaging abo about her. She had a tedious tone and assertive attitude tthat poorly portrayed the kind, cour-
teous and curious Alice. The Red Queen, played by Helena ena Bonham Carter, is surprisingly where most of the film’s ures and humor comes from. The kooky creatures we ee and peculiar characters like Tweedledee Tweedledum also added some uplifting lifting comedy. The movie did have some interestesting scenes but as a whole nothing came me together. It seemed like a missed oppportunity for Burton who should havee focused more on creating a stimulat-ing storyline rather than merely en-tertaining with visuals. There were some good themes such as following your own path, thinking abstractly and making the right decision but there was no emotion behind any of it. I really wanted to like this movie. It’s a disappointment but not really unexpected. Burton does his best when he is being original. “Edward Scissorhands” and “Big Fish” are per-fect examples of that. But when he tries ies to recreate an already beloved moviee like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” or a terrifying tale such as “Sweeney Todd,” he fails to impress beyond art direction and costume tume design. “Alice in Wonderland” is worth seeing if you are “curiouser and curiouser,” as Alice ce puts it, but not if you are hoping to get something ng really good out of $14.50 (or at least that’s whatt I regrettably paid to see it).
PHOTOS COURTESY OF IMDB.COM
When Did Jason Bourne Go to Iraq? PREDICTABLE PLOT DOES NOT ADD FLAVOR TO PAUL GREENGRASS’ ‘GREEN ZONE’ By Alec Horowitz Assistant Photo Editor |
N01877795@newpaltz.edu
“Green Zone” has me a bit torn. Although I appreciated it, I can’t say it’s an effective thriller. As much as it pains me to say, the anti-war message might be the reason it doesn’t work. However, it is a very honest film about the Iraq War. In the movie, a soldier is trying to uncover the truth about the Iraq War and the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD’s). The main question the film asks is: Why did we go to war? Yet, the problem is how are we supposed to feel suspenseful if we already know the answer? There were no WMD’s. The main character is a soldier played by Matt Damon. The film takes place in 2003, and as it sets into the plot, the central question becomes; Did the government lie about WMD’s? Well, yes. Anyone with half a brain in the audience knows the answer to this. Later, Damon then meets a journalist from the Wall Street Journal and she describes the articles she wrote that said there were WMD’s in Iraq. He starts to question her. Then there’s a big chase scene after Damon’s character gets kidnapped that lasts for about five minutes. At this point, I started to get bored. Director Paul Greengrass fills this film with so many fast cuts and action sequences that
Paul Greengrass’ “Green Zone” is a fail of an effective thriller as the film doesn’t tell the audience anything new.
you’re supposed to be feeling like you are in the midst of a thriller. However, if I already know the result to the mystery because I read it in the paper a few years ago, then how am I supposed to be on the edge of my seat? Also, Damon’s character is too paper-thin for me to care deeply about.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM
There have been so many good documentaries on the Iraq war. There’s nothing here that hasn’t been covered by a good documentary or indie film. I guess the main problem with ‘The Green Zone’ is that it doesn’t tell us anything new.