Disney is known for his animation. But his very first works combined both animation and live-action, like Who Framed Roger Rabbit would do decades later. These live-action/animation shorts were based upon the Alice In Wonderland tales Walt had read in his childhood. And in 1951, Walt created (Arguably) the most famous adaptation of Lewis Carrol's book.
Alice is a small girl who runs down a hole in search of a white rabbit. She learns that she has stumbled into a zany world called Wonderland, where mad hatters and Cheshire Cats roam free. But how can she get home? That's the puzzler...
I am a large Disneyana fan. And, let me just say right now, we are rabid about Walt Disney movies. But for some reason, as a child (and today) I didn't get it. Not only isn't there a plot line, there really isn't an objective throughout. You get the feeling they're missing up great story opportunities that Tim Burton's adaptation did so perfectly.
The voices are great though. The immortal Sterling Halloway does wonders as that perfect Cheschire Cat. And Kathryn Beaumont does her second Disney heroine role here (she also does Wendy in Peter Pan). Still, the film, like Peter Pan, is a bit on the weaker side of Walt's classics.
Rating: 7.1 out of 10
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