As a child, I was never much interested in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". I preferred all of my literature to revolve around horses. Other movie versions of this classic by Lewis Carroll have left me cold. When I first heard that Burton was making his own movie with his band of merry actors, I was excited to see where he would take it.

Alice (Mia Wasikowska), whose beloved, adventuresome father has recently passed away, is being proposed to by a sniveling momma's boy in front of all of their upper crust friends. She runs away to think and promptly falls down a rabbit hole and is thrust back into a world she first encountered in a dream as a young girl. She becomes reacquainted with the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas), the Dormouse (Barbara Windsor), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), Absolem, the Blue Caterpillar (Alan Rickman) and, of course, the Mad Hatter (Depp). Alice, who can't or won't kill anything, must slay the Jabberwock to save the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) from her evil sister, the Red Queen (Carter) and her cohort in crime, Stayne-Knave of Hearts (Crispin Glover).

First of all, when you see this film, it must be seen in 3-D. This technology just keeps getting better and better, which is especially important for a fantasy film such as this. Burton's use of light and colorization is masterful. Along with his outstanding Director of Photography Dariusz Wolski, no one landscapes a film as well. Think back to "Corpse Bride", "Sleepy Hollow" or "Sweeney Todd" --- Burton has a flair for the dramatic distinctly illustrated in his usage of colors.

But it's the Mad Hater's colorful characterization and Depp's acting acumen that make this film so rich and rewarding. Depp is the only possible actor capable of going from portraying John Dillinger in "Public Enemy" to this "mad" hat maker. His depth is as astounding as the close-ups of his remarkable face in this film. He and Carter are always a great team. She's positively exuberant and horrifyingly delightful as the Red Queen. Every time she cried "Off with their heads" I wanted to squeal with joy!

It's an incredible feat by Burton, made even more so by a terrific cast. His longtime composer, Danny Elfman, doesn't disappoint either. All in all, a fabulous movie-going experience. Opinion: Strong See It Now!

This is easily Burton's finest work, and while he takes some liberties with Lewis Carroll's classic, there are plenty of traditional "Alice" traits to satisfy everyone. Depp heads a distinguished cast, including Helena Bonham Carter (Burton's significant other and frequent leading lady) as the Red Queen with the oversized noggin. She gleefully shouts "Off with his/her Head!" enough times to cement her standing as the villainess, and Anne Hathaway is her polar opposite as the White Queen, redeeming herself for the awful "Valentine's Day".

Alan Rickman is easy to spot as the voice of the hookah-smoking caterpillar, although I didn't catch any English letters like "U" or "R" in his smoke drifts, but he does project some long jets of white puffery to good effect. Michael Sheen as the White Rabbit and Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat are not so obvious, but equally intriguing as talking creatures. I loved Timothy Spall as the bloodhound Bayard --- some of the film's best animation --- and Matt Lucas as the loveable Tweedledee and Tweedledum ("curious" how it's never Tweedledum and Tweedledee).

As for Depp, he has made a career of portraying, and obviously loves to dress up as, outrageously costumed characters. As the Mad Hatter, Depp is in his element --- twinkling eyes, powdered cheeks, and never failing to display just the right amount of facial expression to let us know what his character is thinking. A plus is Depp's rendition of Carroll's "Jabberwocky", which is a real treat.

And then there's Alice, of course. The role is marvelously played by 20-year-old Aussie Mia Wasikowska. She handles everything beautifully, particularly her many scenes involving special effects. Whether she's cascading down the rabbit hole (a fabulous sequence) or alternately growing and shrinking with the requisite "Drink Me" and "Eat Me" props, or rapping inside her teapot hideout from the Red Queen's champion, Stayne (Crispin Glover), Wasikowska is perfect as Alice.

The movie may be a bit too intense for younger children, especially with the fearsome Jabberwock monster and an especially thunderous score, but its PG rating will not keep the little ones away. And don 't even think about seeing this movie in anything less than 3-D (our screening was also at an IMAX theater).

Opinion: Strong See It Now!