Alice in Wonderland
Directed by Tim Burton
Tim Burton and Johnny Depp return with their seventh movie together and one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Mia Wasikowska (who reportedly beat out the likes of Amanda Seyfried and Lindsay Lohan, both of whome had voiced their desire for the role) stars as 19-year-old Alice. The movie, a “sequel” to Lewis Carroll’s original stories (and completely separate from Disney’s 1951 version), follows Alice as she returns to Wonderland 10 years after her first trip, which she does not remember. At her engagement party, Alice spots a white rabbit in a coat and follows him through a maze, only to fall down a rabbit hole into Wonderland. Once back, Alice is reunited with the Mad Hatter (Depp) who needs her help overthrowing the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) who has taken control of Wonderland. Although Burton shot the movie in 2-D, but plans to release it Disney Digital 3D, IMAX 3D and in regular theaters. With a stellar cast including Anne Hathaway, Michael Sheen, and Alan Rickman Alice in Wonderland is poised to be one of the biggest movies of the year.
Brooklyn’s Finest
Directed by Antoine Fuqua
The movie also being released this week that’s not Alice in Wonderland is Brooklyn’s Finest. The movie follows three New York City cops (Don Cheadle, Richard Gere, and Ethan Hawke), during the course of one week, as their lives are drastically changed through their involvement in a large drug operation. Director Antoine Fuqua is known for gritty dramas with both hits (Training Day) and misses (Shooter), but with an eclectic cast, including Wesley Snipes and Ellen Barkin, this could be his comeback movie.