Blu-ray Review: Alice Through the Looking Glass

By John Corrado

A much less successful followup to Tim Burton’s 2010 take on Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass follows Alice (Mia Wasikowska) as she is guided through a mirror that takes her back to Underland.  The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) has grown sick, and the clues to cure him lie in the past, so Alice steps into a clock and steals a time machine from Time (Sacha Baron Cohen) to save him.

I wasn’t really a fan of Alice Through the Looking Glass, it’s bafflingly undercooked in terms of narrative and garishly over the top on many other levels, but it still has some cool visual moments and curious viewers should feel free to check it out on Blu-ray.  For more thoughts on the film, you can read our three views of it right here.

The Blu-ray includes audio commentary by director James Bobin, five deleted scenes with optional commentary, as well as the featurettes Behind the Looking Glass, A Stitch in Time: Costuming Wonderland and Characters of Underland, and two “scene peelers” which show the visual effects progression of key sequences.  There’s also a brief bit with Sacha Baron Cohen being interviewed in character, as well as the music video for P!nk’s “Just Like Fire” and a look at the making of the video.  Although these bonuses don’t really change my opinion of the film, the looks at the costuming and visual effects do a good job of helping us appreciate the artistry behind it.

Alice Through the Looking Glass is a Disney release.  It’s 113 minutes and rated PG.