Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)

Having seen 2010's Alice in Wonderland and seeing all the creative liberties it took, I knew this one would do the same. However, this film has absolutely nothing to do with its source material except that Alice steps inside a mirror. Anyway, that's beside the point. It needed to be stated. In case anyone was expecting a loyal adaptation of the novel, though I highly doubt it.

Alice Kingsleigh is back after six years in Alice Through the Looking Glass. It's predecessor got hype as it was a Tim Burton film, but it left a sour taste in many people's mouths. This film does lose some of the whimsy and some of the actors look like they'd rather be doing something else. I was surprised to see Alice get a sequel. While the first film made money, it got horrible critical and audience reviews. While I didn't like the first one, I didn't hate the sequel.

Mia Wasikowska reprises her role as Alice as she returns to Underland to help save the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). He is dying since no one will believe his family is still alive. Alice decides to go back in time to prevent their deaths and in order to do so she must borrow Time's (Sacha Baron Cohen) chronosphere. Cohen's portrayal of Time is a little bit different from his usual shenanigans, but it seemed like he was desperately trying to fit them in somehow. The whole film is about time travel. The original cast is back including Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter. Out of all them, I felt Anne Hathaway truly wished she was not a part of this film.

The film is different from usual time traveling stories as the past truly cannot be changed in this one. However, it is not as visually appealing as Tim Burton's film. The sequel is directed by James Bobin and while I didn't mind the direction of the film, it did seem like he tried to capture the essence of Burton, but was unable to succeed. The sets are Burtonesque, but the whimsy isn't there. The original actors (sans Hathaway) know how to capture the spirit of their characters since they had played them before, but Baron Cohen seems at a loss for what to do.

Overall, I found the sequel enjoyable and I know I'm in the minority. Johnny Depp is a talented actor. There's no doubt about that, but people have criticized his performance in this film saying it's not his best. I don't disagree, but I don't necessarily agree either. His performances have started to blend in with one another. It's hard to tell the difference between his Mad Hatter from his Jack Sparrow from his Tonto. He likes to have fun, but it seems like he is tired of these characters. He is an actor waiting on his next paycheck. Alice Through the Looking Glass is better than other sequels. It is another film waiting to be watched by people who want to see other things on the silver screen. When you are presented with the same thing over and over again, there's nothing you can do, but fork over your money.

Rating: 3/5