As is tradition in the world of home entertainment, several DVD reissues and ancillary products hit shelves this week to attach themselves, barnacle-like, to the hull of today's marquee theatrical release, "Alice in Wonderland."
The latest "Alice" craze has been particularly intense, with no fewer than five "Alice" reissues on DVD and the inevitable videogame tie-in. Here's an interesting sign of the times: Of all the supplementary "Alice in Wonderland" home entertainments being offered up, the video game proves to be the most engaging.
Probably the most interesting DVD reissue, in concept if not execution, is the recent SyFy miniseries, "Alice." Reimagined and set in a contemporary frame, "Alice" features some great costuming and visual set-pieces - Wonderland exists among the tops of skyscrapers - and guest stars such as Kathy Bates and Tim Curry.
The sluggish pacing is a real drag, though. A tip for filmmakers: Scenes of people talking about what they're about to do is less interesting than scenes in which they actually do those things.
NBC's 1999 miniseries "Alice in Wonderland" has a lot more going for it in terms of, you know, competent narrative approach. Tina Majorino ("Napoleon Dynamite") headlines a genuinely star-studded cast including Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Kingsley, Martin Short and Gene Wilder.
Also hitting shelves: "Alice in Wonderland," the 1933 version with Gary Cooper, Cary Grant and W.C. Fields; the surrealist 1966 version with Peter Sellers and music by Ravi Shankar; and "Alice Through the Looking Glass," also 1966, a TV miniseries featuring - among other casting wonders - the Smothers Brothers as Messrs. Dee and Dum.
Finally, the all-reaching, all-knowing entertainment entity that is Disney has released a video game to go with its first big spring release. "Alice in Wonderland" (PC/Wii; rated E-10) is several notches above the typical movie tie-in game. A third-person "over the shoulder" adventure, the game puts players in the shoes - or rabbit-feet or what-have-you - of several Wonderland denizens charged with protecting Alice.
Word is that director Tim Burton was involved in the making of the game, and it shows. The visuals, surreal and inventive, sell the game right out of the gate. The combination of combat and puzzle-solving is just right, with an appealing anything-goes attitude.
The March Hare, for instance, flings cups and saucers with telekinesis. The Mad Hatter controls perspective, and the White Rabbit controls time. Under the hood, you'll find some top-shelf game design as well. Controls are intuitive, camera and inventory systems elegant, and the optional two-player mode unlocks some weird and wonderful combos. Stop time to freeze the Red Queen's soldiers, for instance, and your partner can fling stones via telekinesis, or pinch enemies with forced perspective.
It's all rather gratifying, really, if you've trudged through as many bad movie tie-in games as I have. Rated E-10 (for kids 10 and over), the game can skew even younger, thanks to the cartoony fight scenes (no blood) and relatively simple control scheme.
