Alice in Wonderland (1951)

"Classic book. Classic movie. Classic Disney." - a review by mino

I've long been a fan of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Lewis Carroll book on which this Disney movie is based, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Alice remains one of the world's most-loved children's books, nearly 140 years after it was first published, and more than a few adults are fans too. Given its age, it is remarkable how much of the twisted wordplay and crazy logic is still understandable, let alone funny.

Alice in Wonderland is a Disney animated version of Carroll's tale. It's not necessarily particularly accurate to the books; lots of bits have been deleted, some bits have been cribbed in from Carroll's sequel, Through the Looking Glass, and some small parts have been added. While the true Carroll fanatic might just get frustrated with what's changed, the fact is they've done a pretty good job: most of what's been cut is either largely unnecessary, or at the very least is a 'slow point' in the books which just wouldn't work as a zany Disney animation.

While it's remarkable that the original book is still entertaining, it's nearly as remarkable that after fifty-plus years, the Disney movie itself would hold up so well. The animation style is, surprisingly, not as dated as you might think: compared to some other Disney movies from the era, it looks quite sharp and clear, and stands out as one of the most 'good-looking' of the early Disney features. This is in part due to the fantastic way the original animators captured the rather timeless Tenniel illustrations from the original version of the book, which are very much a part of the Alice canon.

The jokes and banter are still as sharp as ever, with hardly any jokes showing their age, or being inappropriate for these politically-correct times, as sometimes happens. It's the voice talents, though, that really impress: the character of Carroll's creations are captured almost perfectly, from the wide-eyed innocence of Alice (Kathryn Beaumont) to Ed Wynn's brilliantly insane turn as the Mad Hatter, and Sterling Holloway (better known as Winnie The Pooh) as the wickedly impish Cheshire Cat. This is one of the greatest voice casts assembled in a Disney movie: all the characters really come alive, and each voice is matched perfectly to each of Carroll's lively characters.

While admittedly the overall plot isn't necessarily that great (being really an excuse to string together a series of amusing scenes), it kinda doesn't matter. It's still great fun for kids (when I saw it recently, I also had three kids of varying ages sitting rapt in attention), and it would be a pretty hard-hearted adult who didn't also enjoy it. Disney films are very much a mixed bag, especially of late: this is certainly one of the best for the whole family.