Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter

theBIGyowski · Post by **theBIGyowski** » Nov Thu 20, 2008 10:40 am

I think Burton has his own little world that his movies exist in. That is why most of them have the same look and feel...because they exist inside of that world. Every director (outside of Kubrick) is like this. Michael Bay, Coen Brothers, M. Night Shyamalan, etc. seem to have all of their movies exist in the same type of world or through a similar lense. Burton's world happens to be a twisted, dark, whimsical one. Johnny Depp has the features and acting ability to exist in that world and I think Burton uses that to his advantage. So, while I agree that Depp's characters seem to be more similar than they are different, it works because that is how the protagonist appears in Tim Burton's world.

Josh Q · Post by **Josh Q** » Nov Thu 20, 2008 1:04 pm

It looks interesting. The art will be amazing as the art is in all of Burton's films, I'm not sure with this new Alice though, it's an amazing story but could be and has been several times tried to be made and ended up a pile of crap. Hopefully with Burton behind the wheel this will be, well, amazing! I cant wait to hear what Danny Elfman comes up with!!!!!

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » Nov Thu 20, 2008 9:20 pm

I'm still hoping against hope that this will incorporate both stories seperately rather than condensing both books into one like Disney regretfully did. Both books are amazing on their own and the stories really need to be divided to get the full effect of each. In a nutshell, an overall theme that I find extremely entertaining is taht they are basically opposites of one another, one book showing the problems in a society without rules and the other the problems of a society over-run with rules. It's impossible to gain this perspective from just combining the stories though

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(lol, sorry, ILS and English major here

)

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » Nov Fri 21, 2008 4:38 am

DisBeamer wrote:I think the director is ... the director - or driving force, if you want - of most of the visual expression of a film.

I completely agree.

Personally, I sort of enjoy the Burton light gothic thing. It doesn't get me too excited, but I think it's OK. I think most of his films are overrated (and Willie Wonka was fun, but unnecessary), but I know he has it in him to make great movies, because Ed Wood is probably the best movie about movies I've ever seen, and is really one of my favorite movies ever. Most of his other movies lack heart, in my opinion.

The rest of his stuff is pleasant enough diversion for me.

disneydreamer58 · Post by **disneydreamer58** » Nov Fri 21, 2008 8:56 am

I agree with JS3901 Tim Burton's characters do look the same, just a remix of the last character. I was hoping for a little more on the costuming for the Mad Hatter. Look at the Disney version; he was full of color and eccentric. While I know that the animated Disney version is going to be tame in comparison to what Burton might come up with. I was hoping for so much more from the costume department

I am still not sure about this movie, it was one of my all time favs (as you can tell from my Avatar!) and I am not sure how I feel about it being made into a dark version. And no I never read the book. I prefer Disney's fantasy version

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » Nov Fri 21, 2008 12:06 pm

This is such a touchy subject for me... they're my favorite novels of all time, the original fantasy novels. I don't want Burton to make it overly dark, but I would like him to stay true to the kind of threatening nature the books have rather than the happy-go-lucky Disney film. I don't dislike the Disney film, I just don't want a re-hash of that... I wnat Burton to take this in a new direction from everyone else, and hopefully stay true to the books as much as possible in the process.

I think he should also make a short film of The Hunting of the Snark

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edit: I want to co-direct this movie

Josh Q · Post by **Josh Q** » Nov Fri 21, 2008 2:41 pm

I agree with JS3901 Tim Burton's characters do look the same, just a remix of the last character

100% and no offense I love Johhny Depp as an actor but I would really like to see Tim Burton use someone else.

As far as Burton's films go, there have only been 2 major films that I can say have been very very well done, from story, to the acting, and the characters. Ed Wood and Big Fish.

theBIGyowski · Post by **theBIGyowski** » Nov Fri 21, 2008 5:31 pm

Disney combined Alice In Wonderland and The Looking Glass I believe. Because of the power of Disney, this is what everyone thinks Alice In Wonderland is about. It's actually a dark story...not too dark...but dark nonetheless. I wouldn't be surprised if Alice was one of Burton's favorite books as a child and might have shaped his storytelling at a young age. I think he's the perfect person to make this film and with special effects what they are today it shouldn't be anything less than beautiful. Did people get angry with Alfred Hitchcock for having most of his stories and films look and behave similarly? What about Rod Serling...he used many of the same people over and over again with his stories. Just saying when something works...it works...because people buy in to that director's world. Personally, I think the Mad Hatter will be one of Depp's best Burton characters and will hopefully be one we remember.

Magical Wonder · Post by **Magical Wonder** » Nov Fri 21, 2008 7:30 pm

Thanks for posting that. I love anything that Johnny Depp is in.

emopants92 · Post by **emopants92** » Jan Tue 13, 2009 11:01 pm

I am actually REALLY excited to see this, not only will he do a complete remake of the story, but Tim Burton ALWAYS has something up his sleeve that makes it that much better. Same thing happened with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, he not only did a remake but he game definition to Mr. Wonka along with adding his own touch of "creepiness" or his own "Gothic" factor to everything he does. BUT that is what Burton is all about, and thats why people love his movies. So i am pretty sold on its going to be a good movie.

Post by **js3901** » Jan Wed 14, 2009 6:26 am

emopants92 wrote:I am actually REALLY excited to see this, not only will he do a complete remake of the story, but Tim Burton ALWAYS has something up his sleeve that makes it that much better. Same thing happened with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, he not only did a remake but he game definition to Mr. Wonka along with adding his own touch of "creepiness" or his own "Gothic" factor to everything he does. BUT that is what Burton is all about, and thats why people love his movies. So i am pretty sold on its going to be a good movie.

Oh, I don't doubt that it'll be a good movie. Johnny Depp has a knack for picking good roles. I just wish, as I've said before, that Johnny Depp isn't quite as "typecast" in all the Tim Burton films. He ALWAYS plays the same basic character (with of course slight differences in the performance) - a creepy, gothic-type guy with REALLY pale complextion. He looks the same in pretty much all TB movies:

Edward Scissorhands
Sweeney Todd
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Alice and Wonderland
Ed Wood (granted, shot black & white, but still)
hell, even his clay-mation character in The Corpse Bride is like this.

JD has such a range of characters that for TB to keep putting him in the same roles is tantamount to locking your pet up in a cage for it's entire life (never to be let out).

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » Jan Wed 14, 2009 3:42 pm

Even if he's played the same type of character in all the TB movies, they're still incredible.

bluebayougirl · Post by **bluebayougirl** » Jan Wed 14, 2009 4:34 pm

What's wrong with macabre - the origional story is slightly different than the Disney version.

- blue

figmentaholic · Post by **figmentaholic** » Jan Wed 21, 2009 6:55 pm

bluebayougirl wrote:What's wrong with macabre - the origional story is slightly different than the Disney version. - blue

Well, let's face it, almost always the story is different than the Disney version. There are many old stories that Disney has brought in that started off as rather dark and dismal stories that have been "Disney-fied" and turned into very happy tales.

Gymfan15 · Post by **Gymfan15** » Jan Fri 30, 2009 4:37 pm

Yep...too true. I can't even begin to remember how many times I've look at the origina l source of a well-known Disney film and be struck at just how gritty and well, REAL it is, compared to the sugar-coating that most films got. Alice is a good example...The Little Mermaid is another good one. Sheesh, in the Hans Christian Andersen tale, she DIED!

I think Johnny Depp looks positively freaky as the Mad Hatter, but I've no doubt he'll do a great job. Looks like your typical Tim Burton fare...I'll wait for the trailer before I decide to go see it. I'm not really interested if it's going to be super dark and weird.