Honestly, sequels are a gamble. When Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland raked in over a billion dollars back in 2010, a second film was inevitable. But by the time Alice Through the Looking Glass—the official name for the film Alice in Wonderland 2—hit theaters in 2016, the vibe had shifted. People weren't just looking for CGI eye candy anymore. They wanted a story that actually made sense.
James Bobin took over the director's chair from Burton, and the result was... well, it was a lot. It was loud, bright, and emotionally heavy in ways the first one wasn't. It also didn't really follow Lewis Carroll's book at all. Like, at all. If you went into that theater expecting a literal adaptation of the "Looking Glass" novel, you were probably pretty confused by the whole "Time is a person played by Sacha Baron Cohen" thing.
The Weird Reality of Making Alice Through the Looking Glass
Most people forget that this movie came out six years after the first one. That is a lifetime in Hollywood. Mia Wasikowska returned as Alice Kingsleigh, now a sea captain, which was a cool touch. It gave her more agency. She wasn't just a girl falling down a hole anymore; she was a woman trying to navigate a man's world in Victorian London before she got pulled back into Underland.
But the real heart of the film Alice in Wonderland 2 wasn't Alice. It was the Mad Hatter. Johnny Depp’s performance was much more somber this time around. The plot centers on Alice stealing the "Chronosphere" to travel back in time and save the Hatter’s family. It’s a time-travel movie dressed up in gothic lace.
It’s actually kinda tragic when you look at the production timeline. This was Alan Rickman’s final film role. He voiced Absolem (the butterfly, formerly the caterpillar), and the movie is dedicated to him. Every time he speaks, it hits different now. You can hear that iconic, gravelly resonance that nobody has been able to replicate since.
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Why the Critics Hated It (and Fans Kind of Liked It)
The gap between what critics said and what the audience felt was massive. Rotten Tomatoes scores for the film were pretty brutal, hovering around 29%. Critics called it a "visual headache." They weren't entirely wrong. The colors are so saturated it feels like looking at a neon sign for two hours.
However, if you talk to Disney fans, they often defend it. Why? Because it gave the Red Queen a backstory. Helena Bonham Carter is incredible. We finally find out why her head is so big—it wasn't just a design choice; it was a traumatic childhood accident involving a crust of bread and a fountain. It made her human. It made her a villain you actually felt sorry for.
Anne Hathaway’s White Queen, Mirana, also got some much-needed complexity. In the first film, she was just "the good one." In this sequel, we learn she lied as a kid, which basically ruined her sister’s life. It’s messy. It’s family drama. It’s not a perfect movie, but it tried to do something deeper than just "slay the monster."
Breaking Down the Visual Effects
The CGI was handled by Sony Pictures Imageworks. They had to create "Time’s Castle," which is one of the most intricate sets ever digitally rendered. Think about thousands of ticking clocks and a giant mechanism that represents the literal flow of life.
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- The Chronosphere itself was designed to look like a steampunk gyroscope.
- Colleen Atwood returned for the costumes. She’s a legend. She won an Oscar for the first film and was nominated again for this one.
- The "Seconds"—the tiny clockwork robots that combine to form "Minutes"—were a stroke of genius.
The Box Office Disaster Nobody Expected
Money talks. The first film was a juggernaut. This one? It made about $299 million worldwide. That sounds like a lot of money to you and me, but against a production budget of $170 million plus a massive marketing spend, it was a "flop" by Disney standards.
Timing was a big factor. It opened against X-Men: Apocalypse, and audiences were starting to experience "live-action remake fatigue." Also, the public perception of Johnny Depp was beginning to shift during the 2016 period due to his highly publicized personal issues. It was a perfect storm of bad timing.
But looking back, the film Alice in Wonderland 2 has aged better than people give it credit for. It’s weirdly philosophical. The character of Time (Sacha Baron Cohen) gives these long monologues about how time isn't a thief, but a gift. It’s surprisingly heavy stuff for a movie meant for kids.
Where the Story Goes From Here
Is there going to be an Alice 3? Disney has been quiet. Very quiet. Given the box office of the second film, a direct theatrical sequel seems unlikely. But with Disney+, anything is possible. There have been rumors about a spin-off focused on the Red and White Queens, or maybe a complete reboot that stays closer to the original Lewis Carroll nonsense poetry.
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The legacy of Alice Through the Looking Glass is really about its attempt to build a world. It didn't want to just repeat the hits. It tried to explain the "why" behind the characters. If you haven't seen it since 2016, it’s worth a rewatch just for the production design and the bittersweet experience of hearing Alan Rickman one last time.
How to Appreciate the Film Today
If you’re planning to dive back into Underland, don’t look for a logical plot. It’s Wonderland. It’s supposed to be nonsensical. Focus on the themes of grief and reconciliation. Notice the way Alice’s relationship with her mother mirrors her journey in the magical realm.
- Watch the costume details: Every outfit Alice wears reflects her growth as a captain.
- Listen to the score: Danny Elfman returned, and his themes are as hauntingly beautiful as ever.
- Pay attention to Time: Sacha Baron Cohen plays the character with a strange, German-accented vulnerability that is actually pretty funny.
The film Alice in Wonderland 2 might not be a masterpiece of cinema, but it’s a fascinating example of how a studio tries to expand a "nonsense" world into a cohesive franchise. It’s big, it’s messy, and it’s undeniably unique.
To get the most out of the experience, try watching the 2010 original and the 2016 sequel back-to-back. You’ll see the massive jump in technology and the subtle shift in how Disney approached their live-action protagonists during that era. Then, check out the "making of" features specifically regarding Colleen Atwood’s costume design to see how much work went into the physical textures of a mostly digital world.