Family

Family.com Entertainment Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland

What Families Love

Just for Mom

Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland

Surreal animated Disney classic with mild peril.

By Nell Minow, Nell, Minow

From our provider:

Common Sense Rating: for ages 4+ Stars: 4 out of 5 (About Common Sense Ratings)

MPAA Rating: G Studio: Walt Disney Pictures Directed By: Clyde Geronimi Cast: Ed Wynn, Kathryn Beaumont, Sterling Holloway Running Time: 75 min Release Date: 07/28/1951 DVD Release Date: 07/04/2000 Genre: Family and Kids

What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that Disney’s classic animated interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s tale is a great “starter” Alice for younger kids. Before moving on to more mature and theatrical versions, like Tim Burton’s trippy 2010 adventure, Disney’s seven-year-old Alice embarks on a colorful journey that does include some mild violence (especially when she meets the sadistic Queen of Hearts) and taunting language like “stupidest” and “fat.” There’s also three animal characters that smoke either a pipe or, in the case of the caterpillar, a hookah.

Families can talk about the dreamy world Alice finds herself in. Which of these wild characters is your favorite? Why do they celebrate un-birthdays in Wonderland? Could you celebrate one right now? Why does Alice sing the song "I Give Myself Very Good Advice (But I Very Seldom Follow It)"? When did you give yourself good advice and not follow it?
Families can talk about how this original version differs from Time Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010) starring Johnny Depp, or how it differs from Lewis Carroll's original work.

The children's classic by Lewis Carroll about the girl who falls down a rabbit hole is presented by Disney in this lively and tuneful version. Alice is reading with her sister when she sees a white rabbit, fully dressed, muttering about being late. She follows him down a rabbit hole to Wonderland, where she grows bigger and smaller, meets the Cheshire Cat, attends a mad tea party, talks to a caterpillar who puffs on a hookah, and triumphs over the Queen of Hearts, before finding that it was all a dream.

Like another perennial favorite, The Wizard of Oz, this is the story of a girl who thinks she wants to go somewhere exciting, but, once she gets there, spends the entire time trying to find her way home. Wonderland may be different and exciting, but its inhabitants are often rude and unfriendly, even hostile.

It's worth noting that Alice does just about everything we tell kids not to do, including going off with strangers and eating and drinking things that may be dangerous. She acknowledges her mistakes in a song that kids will relate to: "I Give Myself Very Good Advice (But I Very Seldom Follow It)." Kids may enjoy silly characters like the Mad Hatter and March Hare (especially the celebration of "unbirthdays"), and the tantrums of the despotic Queen of Hearts, who constantly screams "Off with their heads!"

Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Cinderella
Sleeping Beauty

Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.