Alice Through The Looking Glass Movie Review & Lessons Learned

I was invited on an all expense paid trip by Disney to attend the premiere screening for the Alice Through The Looking Glass Movie Review.

Alice Through The Looking Glass – produced by Tim Burton, is the second film for Disney from the Lewis Carroll stories which started with Alice in Wonderland and was directed by Tim Burton. Do you need to see the first film before the second, not really, but I do suggest it. In fact, I ordered a copy of Tim Burton’s 2010 Alice in Wonderland to watch the night before seeing Alice Through The Looking Glass.

Let me preface this by saying that I have now seen Alice Through The Looking Glass three times. Will I see it again, yes. Why? Because there are so many strong and powerful messages throughout the movie that I feel like I learned a new one with each viewing. Since Alice Through The Looking Glass is now playing in theatres everywhere, I can tell you all about my thoughts on the movie!

Alice Through The Looking Glass Movie Review

The movie opens to the return of Alice (Mia Wasikowska) from a 3-year journey out at sea as a captain. Upon Alice’s return she is made aware by Absolem (voiced by Alan Rickman) that her very best friend the Hatter (Johnny Depp) is in need. As Alice slips Through The Looking Glass she re-enters Wonderland and is greeted by her friends the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) and crew. They feared she would never return and urge her to see the Hatter.

Hatter has found evidence, by way of a small paper hat he had once made for his father, that indicates his family must still be alive. If anyone is to believe this impossible thing it will have to be Alice, who admits to Hatter that it’s impossible for his family to still be alive. Alice fears that if she doesn’t find Hatter’s family he will die. The White Queen explains to Alice that the only way to save the Hatter is to go back in time using the Chronosphere, which she will have to steal from Time (Sacha Baron Cohen) because he isn’t about to willingly lend it out.

Traveling through time Alice learns much about the past of the Hatter, the sibling rivalry of the Red and White Queen and even a few things about herself. The film delivers many strong messages of female empowerment, the power of time and much more. Let’s journey through a few of them…

– You can not change the past – but you can learn from it.

– Friends can not be neglected – friendships needs to be cared for to thrive.

– Family is important – don’t allow small things to come between you and the ones you love.

– Revenge will destroy you – it’s not worth the hurt and pain caused not only onto others, but yourself.

– Be yourself always – that is the best you, you can be. Your muchness makes you who you are, be proud of it.

– Every second counts – Time is something (or someone) to be respected. Make the most of your time and live with no regrets.

One of my favorite lines from the movie was when Alice’s mother says “Must you always be so headstrong?, to which Alice responds, “No, it’s just more fun that way.” So long as you can find a balance in life to enjoy your own muchness, you will be able to live a fulfilling life with no regrets. Take a stand, make a splash and let the world know you have arrived!

So who should you take to see the movie? Everyone. It’s rated PG and runs about 112 minutes, but I recommend that children be at least seven to see this one. The best thing you can do is see it first – with friends or as a date night (the kids can have fun with these Alice coloring pages), then you can determine whether it’s appropriate for your children under seven.

My son watched an early screening of Alice Through The Looking Glass and told me he really enjoy it. His favorite character was Time and one of his favorite parts from the movie was when Time joined the Hatter for tea. Take the time to check out this ‘Tea and Time” clip.