29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Beautiful Guide Into Wonderland (Underland), February 6, 2010
This review is from: Disney's Alice in Wonderland: The Visual Guide (Hardcover)
Wow. Just wow. They really outdid themselves on this visual guide into the world and characters of Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland adaptation film. Pristine, glossy photographs, sketches and a myriad of extremely interesting trivia tidbits are crammed tastefully and beautifully on an expanse of 72 pages. In-depth character profiles, histories and quotes are also featured upon nearly every page. It also includes a glossary at the back of the book comprised of words and phrases in Outlandish, "a strange, old language, full of weird and wonderful words" only spoken in the Outlands and also, I'm assuming, in the film. You can really tell they put a lot of effort in the making of this book and it truly makes one even more anxious to see the release on March 5th of this year. Contrary to the aimed reading level, this is far from being a book just for little children but for all fans of the upcoming movie who wish to be submerged in Tim Burton's and Linda Woolverton's Underland mythos, language and culture. Armed with this visual guide, come March, I know I am totally prepared to fall down the rabbit hole!
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing, March 18, 2010
This review is from: Disney's Alice in Wonderland: The Visual Guide (Hardcover)
I purchased this visual guide for two reasons. One, because I knew DK publishing would do a phenomenal job on the image work, and two, because I wanted to see some of the gems I surely missed due to the fast pacing and visually detailed nature of the film.
The pictures done well enough, but they don't focus on anything but the most obvious visual elements. I was really hoping to see some of the details I might have missed... the denizens in the garden when Alice arrives, a closer look at the queen's court, perhaps a few of the arcane ingredients on the White Queen's table... that sort of thing.
Instead, each page is taken up by at least 50% text in a huge font and the picture chosen is the most iconic one. Not a bad thing in and of itself, but I wanted to see other things in addition to the shot you see on all the marketing materials. The other images chosen also cover the basics with the occasional lucky shot of something extra (a few of the Hatter's special hats, which they play up on the back of the book).
Then, the text doesn't add anything insightful and instead states the obvious, usually with an exclamation point at the end. For example, the Red Queen's caption says: "Whether it is a frog footman who has stolen her squimberry tart or someone who flirts with the Red Knave, the Red Queen's response is always the same - off with their heads! This ruthless ruler has a fixation with heads!" Thanks guys. How about some commentary on her amazing outfit, the repeating heart motifs, or about her special sceptre. Maybe a shot of the throne room and the throne?
In the end, I realized this wasn't a book for those looking for extra detail - and I expected more from it. Additionally, I think it's targeted to kids more than to adult fans of the flim. The tone and layout of the book is very "yay, it's alice in wonderland!" instead of informative.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Visual Guide, March 16, 2010
This review is from: Disney's Alice in Wonderland: The Visual Guide (Hardcover)
Handsome book, with a good deal of lush, vibrant images that certainly pop! On the downside, at 72 pages, it's a slight volume, and the write-ups are a bit by-the-numbers, run-of-the-mill filler, adding nothing much beyond what we've already learned from the movie. Still, if stunningly colourful images leaping out at you from the page sets your world on fire, this one should satisfy nicely.
For fans of Burton's film looking for a something a little more substantial than eye-candy, I recommend:
Disney: Alice in Wonderland: A Visual Companion (Featuring the motion picture directed by Tim Burton): Foreword by Tim Burton
I also highly recommend:
Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland -- a book that will far outlive the current hype of the film to become a classic in its own right. An absolute must for true fans of Lewis Carroll's original books.
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