Alice Through the Looking Glass: A Movie Review

The last time we saw Alice, she declared her independence and turned down a very prestigious lord for marriage. When we return to her world, she is returning home from an adventurous voyage near China. Things have changed since she went away, and she is forced to choose a life of adventure or a life of stability. During all this, she runs into Absoleum who brings her back to Underland where the Hatter needs her help. 

Time itself is against her as she tries to make the Hatter better, but it is Time that she must confront in order to make him well again. 

Convinced that his family is alive, the Hatter is fading with the memory of his past woes and mistakes. He wishes to see his family again because of the way that he left them: with bitterness and anger. 

Alice is determined to help her friend, but she is also bitter about her own situation. She doesn't want to leave her ship and her father's memory behind. 

She visits the master of Time at his castle where he tells her that she can't change the past, but she can learn from it. Alice doesn't listen, and she becomes determined to set things the way she believes they are supposed to be. But it all continues to follow the same pattern that it has previously. Alice cannot change the moment the Red Queen decided to be the Red Queen, or the moment that the Hatter's family was attacked by the Red Queen. She also can't change the fact that Hamish is determined to have her sign over the deed to the ship that was her father's pride and joy. 

So what does Alice do? Well, that's the important element of the story. 

I enjoyed this film as much as I enjoyed the first Alice in Wonderland. It also has important messages that I needed to hear at this moment in my life. 

"You can't change the past, but you can learn from it." - Time

" Every day is a gift, every hour and every second." -Alice

Alice can control her reaction to her circumstances, and she can appreciate all the time she has spent with her friends, new and old. 

Her decision at the end of the movie is an important one, and a lesson that very few learn. The past is past, but what matters is what you are able to do now. 

I give this movie five out of five pocket watches.

The soundtrack is also wonderful, and Pink's song at the end wraps it up nicely. 

The Power of Disguise

In my Mythology class a few years ago, my College Professor explained that you can learn a lot about a person by their disguises. Halloween itself is an archetypal holiday where people dress up as someone they admire, fear or want to be like. This lecture stuck with me as I learned about theatre, writing and the choices I've made for my costumes. Every character I have dressed up as is someone I admire or aspire to be.

When I was ten, I wanted to be just like Sailor Moon. She was brave, powerful, kind and beautiful. I dressed as her for Halloween because I admired her courage, kindness and her ability to overcome any obstacle thrown at her. Sailor Moon was my favorite character because I wanted to be just like her.

Belle has always been my favorite Disney Princess, and when I read the original fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast, I admired many elements of Beauty or Belle's character. Belle is kind, true to herself and very smart. Her love of stories is something I relate to. Belle is also brave, and made the decision to stay at Beast's castle on her own to protect her father. I can't even count how many times I've dressed as Belle for Halloween. She's been a role model of mine for a long time. 

Yuna is my favorite Final Fantasy heroine, because she taught me how to find my own path, despite what I believed people expected of me. Yuna is a character that represents hope, courage and wisdom. Her difficult path made her stronger, wiser and insightful. As Yuna learns how to overcome obstacles, she discovers who she wants to be. I look up to Yuna's ability to face adversity and create her own path.

Serah was only in Final Fantasy XIII for a short time, but I was able to relate to her. Not only did we share the same name, but we have similar fears. Serah was afraid of becoming a burden, and even though she couldn't change the past, she guided her sister and the lcie to change their fate. In FFXIII 2 Serah is a main character with a difficult quest ahead of her. She makes the decision to do something instead of sit and wait for things to come to her. Serah doesn't let fate control her, she creates her own. This is why I dressed as Serah for a convention.

Alice has quite the story in the Tim Burton film. During the time when the movie came out, I was facing a big decision about facing fears, living my own life and not focusing on the expectations of people my age. I remember watching the film, and feeling exactly like Alice the entire time. All I wanted to do was run away. I didn't want to solve my problem. I wanted to run from it, as far as I could. But by the end of the film, I realized, just like Alice, that the only person who could solve my problem was myself. If I never faced that fear, I would never grow and change into the person I wanted to be. I dressed like Alice because I admire her bravery, and I believe that one day I will slay my own jabberwocky.

Lizzie Bennet is my current role model. She's smart, creative and cares for her family. Lizzie is even my age, or turns my age at the end of the show. Lizzie's character is a beacon of hope for my generation. She lives at home, and has a hard time deciding what she wants to do in the future, but she never gives up, and stays true to herself. She knows that she's not perfect, but she accepts her flaws and learns what she wants to do in her life. As a modern day Lizzy Bennet, Lizzie's character is a wonderful role model for the twenty something generation fresh out of college. I hope to be as creative, clever and true to myself as Lizzie is.

Every Halloween, I dress up like a character who inspires me, or who I aspire to be. A few other characters I remember, but couldn't find pictures for are : Megara from Hercules, Queen Amidala from Star Wars, and Mulan.
What about you? On Halloween do you dress up as a character who inspires you, frightens you or who you aspire to be?