Thursday’s Tale: Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)

Released May 27, 2016
Rating: PG
Directed by James Bobin
Screenplay by Linda Woolverton

Alice Kingsleigh has spent the past few years following in her father's footsteps and sailing the high seas. Upon her return to London, she comes across a magical looking glass and returns to the fantastical realm of Underland and her friends the White Rabbit, Absolem, the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter, who is not himself. The Hatter has lost his Muchness, so Mirana sends Alice on a quest to borrow the Chronosphere, a metallic globe inside the chamber of the Grand Clock which powers all time. Returning to the past, she comes across friends – and enemies – at different points in their lives, and embarks on a perilous race to save the Hatter before time runs out.

We saw Alice Through the Looking Glass last weekend. I admit, I’m not a big fan of Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and I don’t think I’ve read Through the Looking Glass, but I really like Burton’s Alice and this sequel. From what I can tell, this movie doesn’t have much to do with the book anyway.

First, the visuals are amazing. It’s just a gorgeous movie. Just sit back and enjoy it.

Alice goes back in time to try to save the Hatter’s family. Time warns her that you can’t change the past, but you can learn from it. Alice tries, anyway, but soon understands he’s right. I’m not a big fan of time travel, but I don’t mind it so much when you can’t actually change anything, when it self-corrects, so to speak.

Of course, we get a happy ending. Family is important, both for the Hatter and Alice, and we need to let each other know how important they are to us and support their choices.

Alice is a liberated young woman in Victorian England, but others expect her to be more traditional. She has seen the world, both ours and Underland, and is brave and strong and independent. She doesn’t need a prince at her side.

One of my favorite parts, by the way, involved a lot of Time puns. I tend to like words.

Thursday’s Tales is a weekly event here at Carol’s Notebook. Fairy tales, folktales, tall tales, even re-tellings, I love them all.