The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoon

[Sosai X]

Want to know the reason that Tim Burton's adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland" is high on sugar-sweet visuals, yet hobbled by one-dimensional characters, and a screenplay that a monkey could write?

Well, take a look at the resume of the film's writer, Linda Woolverton. She was the writer for such wonderfully mediocre and craptacular Saturday cartoons as:

• Ewoks
• My Little Pony
• Dennis The Menace
• Popples
• The Real Ghostbusters
• Teen Wolf
• Rescue Rangers
• Garbage Pail Kids

While she also did collaborative work on Mulan, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast, her early work and foundations show through quite plainly on Alice. Cartoons only last 22 minutes, and don't require much depth or attention span; neither does this new adaptation of Alice. Everyone loves Tim Burton, and by extension Johnny Depp, but since they can only direct and act from the screenplay (and the script derived from it), there is only one person to blame for Alice. That being said, Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland is another jewel in the crown of everlasting Disney mediocrity.

[itsxxdomoxxkun]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

How dare you call Rescue Rangers crap.

[Trekkie313]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

I loved Rescue Rangers and The Real Ghostbusters, how dare you call them crap! They were quality kids programming, not like the **** on TV today. Just because its a cartoon doesn't mean it doesn't have depth.

[astrologic]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

Haha wow, cartoons are serious business.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

Funny that you don't mention the other films/shows she wrote or co-wrote.

Beauty and the Beast (Disney Animated AND Broadway)
Homeward Bound
The Lion King (Disney Animated)
Mulan (Disney Animated)

[Melonballer]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

A director of Burton's status can choose to have the script rewritten. If it was not good, he is responsible to get a better one. He chose to shoot the script. SO he does have some of the blame.

[BuzzedLightyear]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

It's actuallya very smart script. Go back and looka t the nuance and detail. Itw as very well-thought out, and I actually noticed more, and liked it better the second time.

[leopardchucks]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

I have not seen it yet (this weekend!), but I was told it is nothing like the books. Is it true that it is just a 'continuation' of where the books left off?

[stitchon]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

Equating Rescue Rangers with mediocrity? That's harsh, dude.

I guess unneeded negativity has spread outside of the theme parks forums.

[WatchYourHeadNStep]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

So many haters! I wouldn't call $116 million mediocrity! I would say that was successful.

As far as the Ms. Woolverton is concerned...I would like to point out that Rescue Rangers was one of Disney's best running animated TV series as well as Real Ghostbusters for non-Disney TV series.

Oh we also forgot to mention that fact that Beauty and the Beast was one of the first animated motion pictures that was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Picture category?

Also remember that the script writer is only one part of the overall puzzle that makes a motion picture successful. If you can point out the mediocrity points to the films success I am all ears......waiting...........!

Mediocrity? I say not my dear sir!

[Flickering Bulb]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

the movie itself was mediocre, not the profits. people don't really know what to expect going into a movie and i'm sure most of them don't read Rottentomatoes for reviews, they just go and see the movie excited for the look and the fact that it's an interpretation of Alice in Wonderland, a story millions are familiar with, and Burton already having a huge fan base, it was definitely curiosity for most of us. i found it to be mediocre myself, didn't really wow me. but again, the MOVIE, not the box office performance.

[brand42]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

There are far worse writers...such as Orci and Kurtzman.

[Coheteboy]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

There are far worse writers...such as Orci and Kurtzman.

well... they did alright with Star Trek.

[Mr Wiggins]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

Watching a film for the first time when you haven't been involved and haven't been on the set is always a horrible, horrible shock. All you can see is what's not there that's supposed to be there, because you wrote it. And all this new stuff that's there that you didn't write -- what's that doing there?
Ron Bass
Screenwriter
Rainman

[animagusurreal]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

I read that the screenwriters of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (a classic, IMHO) previously wrote Rice Krispies commercials.

[disneyboii]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

I totally agreee themovie lacked depth charater development and subplots were started suspendedthen brought to a close at the very end, like a tv show. andbasing the success on opening weekend is pretty unrealiable, cause it had alot of hype so of course it was gonna make money.

[WatchYourHeadNStep]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

The script is not always the fault of the script writer. Let's just say Mr. Depp tends to have "carte blanch" to rewriting a script when he wants.

[JerrodDRagon]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

So many haters! I wouldn't call $116 million mediocrity! I would say that was successful.

As far as the Ms. Woolverton is concerned...I would like to point out that Rescue Rangers was one of Disney's best running animated TV series as well as Real Ghostbusters for non-Disney TV series.

Oh we also forgot to mention that fact that Beauty and the Beast was one of the first animated motion pictures that was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Picture category?

Also remember that the script writer is only one part of the overall puzzle that makes a motion picture successful. If you can point out the mediocrity points to the films success I am all ears......waiting...........!

Mediocrity? I say not my dear sir!

Transformers 2 made a lot of money too that does not make it a good film, the movie has good characters, good visuals, and a cool world. The story was not what most of use who have read the books or seen the first movie wanted or expected.

Most of use did not want to see Alice kill a Dragon, the movie added nothing new to the series story and to most of use who watch a lot of movies, or read books/comics/manga, TV and Video Games we sometimes expect a deeper story. When Naruto is deeper than Wonderland I can see how fans feel disappointed.

[JungleCruiseFan]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

Hey! Rescue Rangers was a great show!

[GhostHost2]

Re: The real reason Burton's "Alice" has no more depth than a Saturday morning cartoo

Anybody complaining about AiW's story and characters never saw Avatar. Avatar had the flatest characters and an incredibly dull story.

I thought AiW was great, not only because of visuals, but because of the story and characters also.