# Alice in Wonderland (1951)

### reviewed by
Brian Koller

    Alice in Wonderland (1951)

    Grade: 70

"Alice in Wonderland" is a Disney animated feature that is better than its reputation. It is not as great as some of the Disney features that preceded it, such as "Snow White", "Dumbo", or "Pinocchio", but there is still considerable charm in the animation, story, and voice characterizations.

"Alice in Wonderland" is based on the 19th century Lewis Carroll book of the same name. The book was written as a satire. Disney has tried to put some of the satire into the film, but mostly emphasizes the silliness. There is strong appeal for both children and adults.

Alice is an English girl, perhaps thirteen years old. She fantasizes about a world where animals talk and things aren't so logical, and finds herself in that world. She is determined to learn more about a frazzled white rabbit, a search that leads to encounters with various extremely silly characters. One of them is quite dangerous: the Queen of Hearts, who is fond of beheading those who question her authority.

The animation is quite good. In particular, the studio has a knack for splashing liquids, and there is great "choreography" of dancing playing card soldiers.

The story does have an edge to it. The walrus eats the oysters, the crocodile eats the fishes, and the Queen beheads several playing cards. This is in keeping with the spirit of Carroll's writings, which have the useful moral that gullibility is punished.

There are some slow parts to the story. Alice gets lost and cries. The audience is supposed to feel sorry for her, but this cold-hearted reviewer merely lost interest. There is also a song that the flowers sing to Alice that isn't that interesting.

Whatever Alice eats in Wonderland has her either grow or shrink considerably. It is fortunate for her that her clothes change size with her as well! Also, her hair and clothes never get wet or dirty or have red paint sloshed on them despite all her adventures. I guess liberties need to be taken with cartoons.

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