I personally haven't read the books but I have heard they are cleaver social satire and a quintessential children's book as an extremely illogical story. However I do think that while there are good things in this movie there are a lot of problems with it as well. Being that I think everyone knows the plot of "Alice follows Rabbit, tumbles down the rabbit hole and enters a bizarre world" I don't think that's necessary. I will quickly say the good things. Well, I really liked the performance of the girl that played Alice, I think the make-up while you would have to be told the actors are playing them is fantastic as is the set design and the movie is appropriately weird. Okay what's bad? Well The dialogue, I know it's almost lifted from the book (or seemingly) and I know the intention is to be illogical but... I think reading this dialogue would be much better than listening to it and after a while it does get very very annoying. Adding to this I think one of the reasons why this movie can fail is that most of it is just that dialogue and barely anything visually interesting after a while, I know I said the make-up and sets are fantastic and they are but there is really just them talking to Alice after a while. I'd say it is better than it's reputation but then again I still don't think it's that good.

"Alice in Wonderland" is one of the more misguided projects I've ever seen. Apparently, Paramount studio was in trouble in the early 30s and those in charge were worried about bankruptcy. So, in a crazy bid to make a blockbuster, some idiot hit upon taking most of the stars at the studio and putting them into a glossy film where could couldn't even recognize them!!! That's like taking the greatest singers of their age and putting them into a silent movie!The story is a mishmash of "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass" and consists of a VERY old Alice (19) going on adventures with super-creepy characters--too creepy! It's not at all enjoyable and was a chore to watch from start to finish. Horrible and difficult to enjoy.

I stumbled on this quite by chance in a Charity Shop and on the strength of the cast and technical credits I snapped it up for a peppercorn £2. Even as early as 1933 Mank had several screenplays under his belt and he allegedly made a point of adhering scrupulously to the Dodson text albeit he did combine Wonderland with Through The Looking Glass. Similarly the original Tenniel illustrations have been replicated as closely as possible. In twentieth century England there were several disparaging terms for homosexual men, one of which was brown hatter and I wondered if the term might have been known to the casting director who tapped Edward Everett Horton for the role of the Mad Hatter though it is, of course, probably pure coincidence. Charlotte Henry is clearly too old - she was 19/20 when the film was shot - for Alice and invites comparison with Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz but like Garland she is excellent in the part. The score marked the debut of Dimitri Tiomkin albeit not terribly distinguished. In most cases - just like The List of Adrian Messenger - it could be anyone under all that slap, for instance only the distinctive voice tells us that it is Cary Grant lurking inside the shell of the Mock Turtle, just as we recognize Humpty Dumpty via the unmistakable tones of Bill Fields. In a nice touch the segment covering The Walrus and the Carpenter is a self-contained animation sequence and none the worse for it. On the whole this is a delight for both survivors of its generation and younger film buffs who will know, if only by reputation, at least half the cast.shot in pure anima

When i was a kid and would watch this i always thought it was weird and disturbing. when i was really little i remember being sort of afraid of it. now i think it's a hoot.I've always liked black and white films and feel they achieve stark images with lots of contrast. it's even weirder when the film is a fantasy and features a variety of effects and gimmicks, then it really brings out the dream-like qualities of the black and white.I've never thought this film was as fun or delightful as 'The Wizard of Oz' movie, but i've changed my opinion of it and have found a new respect for the film. it isn't as sweet as 'Oz', but it's a lot weirder and freaky. even though i have always really liked Charlotte Henry(little Bo Peep from 'Wooden Soldiers') her performance doesn't have the touching depth of Judy Garland's Dorothy.the only thing here that i found i was still afraid of was W.C. Field's Humpty Dumpty. i just can't get used to it. it's just plain horrifying.the decades of time have softened the shadows and edges of this movie and taken away a lot of it's nightmarish effect. instead of nightmarish, it now seems quaint and kooky.