BOTTOM LINE: Visually stunning, but flat in its narrative and story, “Alice In Wonderland” demonstrates director Tim Burton’s flair for images if not any sense of narrative depth or character.

THE GOOD: Going in to a Tim Burton movie you will know that at least visually he will create something unique, rich and off-beat; “Alice In Wonderland” is no exception to this rule. The fantastic combination of computer animation, live action actors and presentation in 3-D makes the world of Wonderland come to life in a way that has not been seen before. The interaction between computer generated and live action characters is seamless, and the impression you get is of one image after another that resemble graphic art rather than film. Being based on a popular and strong story, the film does well in presenting Alice’s journey from a going from Point A to Point B perspective. The film really shines in the visuals, production design, costume and make-up. As light-hearted fare, “Alice In Wonderland” makes for a somewhat entertaining film.

THE BAD: The film is flat from a narrative and character perspective. There is no sense of drama or rhythm, as each sequence flows from one point to the next with mechanical precision. It almost seems as if Tim Burton has taken for granted that you know this story already and instead plunges you straight in without much of a dramatic introduction. He does change the story so Alice is now a late teen, but this hardly matters as her story is essential still the same, despite the fact that elements of both of the original novels have been combined in to this story. In some ways it feels like a sequel, but it is not, which adds to the lack of interesting drama. You feel as if you have missed out on something in the story, something to hook you in Alice’s original journey. As a result, the film is enjoyable enough to watch, particularly from a visual perspective, but there is no emotional or dramatic connection to be made with it.