Malice in Wonderland (2009) User Reviews

It's a cockney Alice in Wonderland!

[dudedazzreviews · 7/10 · 10 October 2010]

Malice in Wonderland kind of intrigued me because the idea and the thought of making a cockney-gangster version of the Alice in Wonderland story was a clever approach as I haven't heard of a version like it so it's unique. It could have went either way, it could have been something original yet different or it could have been a laughable idea that isn't interesting enough. Malice in Wonderland is pretty much the first. The story is clever yet average, it's clever the way they twisted the known tale of Alice but it didn't grip you in the first fifteen minutes, it took me about twenty minutes to actually get into the movie and no movie should take that long to get your attention. Even though it started quite slow, as time went on, it picked up the pace and started to get better. The acting is average, Danny Dyer plays Whitey (which is, as you've probably guessed, the equivalent to the White Rabbit) and yet again Danny Dyer is basically playing himself, as his character is the same as the other characters he's ever played in movies. However, Malice in Wonderland is the best he's ever been. The talent that shines throughout is the gorgeous Maggie Grace who plays the troubled twenty-year-old Alice. The characters were created cleverly to twist the characters in the story and added a hint of personality from the real world. The direction is done well and the cinematography is okay and it's clever the way they did it. I also loved how they borrowed some of the lines from the old movie and added them for the characters and I liked how it stuck to the original Alice in Wonderland plot and twisted it.

Overall, I was on and off about it before watching but after watching, I ended up liking it. It's an above-average movie and I enjoyed it. It's such a brilliant translation and you would like this movie if you liked Alice in Wonderland.

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Danny fahkin' Dyer in Wahndahlaind

[one9eighty · 5/10 · 25 July 2017]

Oi oi, it's Danny fahkin' Dyer in Wahndahlaind. A modern retelling of the famous 'Alice in Wonderland' story but set in an urban and seedy world with nasty cockneys, gangland warfare, drugs, pimps and pushers. This story follows Alice (Maggie Grace), who is an American law student, in London, who gets knocked down by a black cab driven by whitey (Danny Dyer) and is left with mild amnesia. A twisted and strange journey ensues while Alice gets her mind back. A low budget film with average acting becomes a mildly enjoyable film if you give this film a chance. Don't expect a knockout film and you'll be alright.

A Modern British Interpretation

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 23 May 2013]

A modern take on the classic fairytale, Alice in Wonderland, set in the North East of England.

I have seen many different versions of the Alice in Wonderland story, from the Disney version to a bizarre Slavic one and many in between. Not long ago the SyFy network reinvented the story yet again (I believe it would have been after this). And still more versions are on the horizon (we are still waiting for the Marilyn Manson version).

Whether or not this is a great film (I would say not), it is a valiant effort towards again trying to update the story. Maggie Grace is a respectable Alice, and the characters they wrote in here were perfectly cast -- I could tell who they were supposed to be without even having to hear their names. (Maybe the names should not have been so obvious.)

A low budget, high talent gem

[Simonster · 13 May 2009]

Viewed at the Marche du Film, Festival de Cannes 2009

With not a lot of money but a bundle of ideas, director Simon Fellows and writer Jayson Rothwell, have come up with a massively entertaining twist on the classic tale, Alice in Wonderland. Only this time it's a young woman with amnesia, a taxi-driver, assorted gangsters, druggies and weirdos who feature.

At the same time, Malice in Wonderland stays true to the novel on which its based, proving that old ideas can still be the best; same story, new version, as it were.

Maggie Grace makes an interesting Alice, here a young American on the run from (and also towards) something, if only she knew what. Some of the dialogue between her and Whitey, the taxi driver, is excellent. Scratch that! A lot of the dialogue is excellent, with some great lines to cut out and keep for future use.

It's clear that a low budget has been made to go a long way, but view it as a lot of bang for low bucks and not as cloth being cut too thinly. What surprises about this film is just how assured it is.

Quibbles? Nothing of note, really. It would, theoretically, be nice to have seen what would have resulted had the production budget been higher, but then the film would perhaps have lost some, if not all, of its edge.

As a calling card, Malice in Wonderland shows some real talent at work. The basic question, is it worth paying to see? Absolutely!

Quirky little gem

[jbrbsmom · 7/10 · 16 March 2022]

Modern ( early 2000) British spin on Alice in Wonderland. Memorable and quirky characters. Extremely well acted. True gem of the lower budget genre. It can be convoluted, but the original was a pretty confusing drug addled ride with carnival like misogynistic characters of dubious origin as well, so there is that to remember when trying to interpret the meanings of the film... Overall I liked it and thought it was creative and inventive and fun and intriguing...a good watch.

A sprawling, untidy oddity.

[steve-662-178237 · 4/10 · 20 February 2010]

It seems financially viable to release this now and an oversight not to, even if it is straight to DVD. With only a few short weeks until the release of Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland, anything bearing roughly the same name or subject matter is likely to gain more interest that it would do under normal circumstances. Lewis Carroll's version of Wonderland (and Alice, come to that) is altogether different here, however. This Simon Fellows directed version of the well-loved tale takes one step firmly to the dark side of humanity, edging further away from fantasy than either Lewis Carroll or Burton's interpretation of Carroll's undoubted masterpiece.

Simon Fellows gathers an eclectic cast ensemble and seems to have read through the story of Alice and then cherry-picked scenes that suit his cinematic vision and then chopped them together. Really, this boils down to two or three set pieces that make some sort of cohesive sense, with the rest just filler in-between. For all that, however, there are genuinely, but rare enjoyable moments throughout.

I'm not known for being a Danny Dyer fan, and still remain as unimpressed by him on the whole as I was before, having only been able to admire one of his delivered lines throughout the entire film. Maggie Grace plays the part of Alice, a poor little rich girl that has lost her memory after being knocked over by Whitey's (Dyer) taxi.   Sounds a world away from the usual fantasy fare, right? Well this version of Alice In Wonderland is set in modern day inner city. The White Rabbit is a taxi driver who is off to buy a cake and is very late for the party, Tweedledum and Tweedledee are both club doormen and stealing tarts in this movie is driving off in an eighteen wheeler with a collection of hookers in the back. An unusual take on the literary work, and if I'm brutally honest, more than a little bit of a mess.

The entire movie feels cluttered, unkempt and sprawling. This never feels like a fantasy, more the intermittent recollections of a hallucinating girl on a one night class A bender. It never feels magical nor enchanting or indeed any element that the original work instilled in its reader.

It would be fair to suggest that this is not at all what Felllows had wanted to do with the film, but then you do have to ask, just what was it that he was trying to achieve? From what he has delivered here, it is not easy to tell, apart from a simple circular tale that could have been about anything, at anytime, anywhere. If so, then why base it on a well loved children's fable? (See paragraph one)

The acting is roundly awful by the main players. Dyer is famous for his usually overtly violent films that require him to shout a lot, point angry fingers and throw his fists about and Grace is as wooden as another well loved children's character. Some credibility comes in the form of Pam Ferris, Fiona O'Shaughnessy, Matt King and Nathaniel Parker in their own oddly created cameos, but none make enough of an appearance throughout to save this film from its rightful place in the bowels of DVD purgatory.

In summary, avoid this if you have the option. If you have to sit through it, I'd pay it the attention it deserves and make sure you have a book handy, or if you are of an hallucinogenic bent, you may find this riveting after you have dropped a tab. I would never suggest illegal drug-taking for recreation, but really, you will need more than just your brain, ears and patience to get to the end of it.

The movie is a mystery and so is the overall quality of the film!

[Hellmant · 6/10 · 14 October 2010]

'MALICE IN WONDERLAND': Three Stars (Out of Five)

A modern day variation on Lewis Carroll's classic books 'MALICE IN WONDERLAND' tells the tale of a young student (played by the increasingly more impressive Maggie Grace, of 'LOST' fame) who's hit by a cab and transferred by the cab driver (played by Danny Dyer) to a bizarre alternate reality where she can't remember who she is and has no idea how to get home. Constantly in danger from a series of strange and even stranger characters she must solve the mysteries of herself and this new world before she loses her sanity, and of course she falls in love in the process.

The movie is very original and different, cleverly written and uniquely directed, but the material is way too incoherent and pointless which does make it a bit dull at times. Still it's definitely like nothing you've ever seen before and is certainly memorable. It also frequently contains emotional scenes that are touching and thought provoking. The movie is a mystery and so is the overall quality of the film! It probably would be a lot better and make more sense if you watched it wasted. Describing it reminds me of the way some have described my texts, tweets and facebook updates.

Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j95Zjdlcbe0

Oh dear Oh Dear Oh Dear.

[michaelt281702085 · 1/10 · 19 January 2014]

Well I've read the rave reviews, and everybody is indeed entitled to their opinion, so here is mine.

I thought this film was crap, but I cant quite explain why ?

I never liked the original Alice in Wonderland, as classic a story as it is meant to be.

Although I thought Danny Dyer carried his usual persona as a wisecracking cab driver.

When I had finished watching this film, I wondered if I had missed something due to the majority rave reviews I read.

I simply did not get the significance of anything.

A Very Strange Trip

[strawberry_juice · 8/10 · 23 June 2011]

I found this movie on Netflix and was initially unsure about it. The title seemed stupid and the rating wasn't all that high. Even once I started watching it, I was just mostly confused. I was interested, yes, but so so confused. For this reason, I will say that this movie isn't for everyone. It's definitely weird, and not just in a slightly quirky kind of way. My advice is, if you start watching this movie and feel put off, start over.

That's what I did, and my experience was increased tenfold. I put my laptop away (I'm very guilty of browsing the internet while watching movies) and found a time when I could actually focus on the movie. The script and the acting was fantastic, with some over-the-top characters, brilliant little details and an overall dream-like feel. When it comes to "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" adaptions, my favorites tend to be the ones that can recreate that same playful crazy feeling that made Lewis Carroll's version so appealing to me as a child. This was definitely in that thread. I'm not sure how well this movie would go over with somebody who hasn't read, or didn't love, the original book. Personally, I had a little rush of joy seeing how wonderfully frantic the trial scene was, just as it was in the book. There were lots of connections like that throughout the film. That said, there were also some great original touches.

In general, I'd definitely advise you to watch it at least once. (While actually paying attention) Some people will love it to death, and others will probably think it's stupid. I think it's worth seeing which category you fall into.

This is one of those in-between films, not that good BUT not that bad.

[jaybob · 6/10 · 16 May 2010]

Jason Rothwell's script is a satiric modern day version of 'Alice in Wonderland'.

Much of it is very silly & stupid,It is somehow partially redeemed in the last 15 minutes. The entire movie is only 82 minutes long before the credits,

It has a fast pace thanks to director Simon Fellows. Maggie Geace & Danny Dyer are the leads and both are good. This had no American screen time & has just released to DVD. This is where it belongs. It is not a terrible film nor is it that good, It is a fairly pleasant viewing.

Ratings: **1/2 (out of 4) 74 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)

Not a lot of malice or wonder

[MBunge · 4/10 · 17 October 2011]

This movie isn't much of a story. It's more like an extended exercise, in the sense it's like watching someone do calisthenics. Looking at Maggie Grace do jumping jacks while Lewis Carroll's classic story does sit ups has a certain appeal, but it doesn't do the viewer much good. Malice in Wonderland is but the barest figment of a plot dancing around Alice, the White Rabbit, the Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and the Cheshire Cat as they're transposed into a world of seedy cabbies, street thugs, mobile whores and deus ex machina time travel. If you're a big fan of people giving the story their own tweak, you might like it. If you're looking for something that stands on its one, keep looking.

The film revolves around a billionaire's amnesiac daughter (Maggie Grace). She falls in with a time obsessed cab driver named Whitey (Danny Dyer). She's desperate to get back her memory, so she takes some pills from Whitey labeled "For Your Head". He's desperate to find a present for mob boss Harry Hunt (Nathaniel Parker). The girl and Whitey rush hither and yon while other characters pop up to and fro. Then the movie reveals a secret about the girl which makes both as much and as little sense as anything else.

Look. Malice in Wonderland is a flick where the Queen of Hearts is a gay guy and the Caterpillar is a white Rastafarian. Get it? That's pretty much the whole thing right there and if it tickles your fancy, you won't mind watching this. There's really nothing else going on here. The actors don't get a chance to do anything but vamp, the dialog is purposefully pointless and it all dissolves into magical realism at the end.

This isn't some kind of adaptation or version of Alice in Wonderland. I can only describe it as what goes on in the head of someone who reads the story for the first time after munching on some "magic mushrooms". It's fragmentary and flittering and flows over you like ebb tide. If this review seems like it's going nowhere, that's because Malice in Wonderland gives me nowhere to go. It may as well have been in claymation and acted out with marionettes.

Some motion pictures are so ghastly you want to get high after watching them in order to get the stink out of your brain. You should probably snort, inject or light up before viewing Malice in Wonderland. It might help and I can't imagine how it could hurt.

Excellent

[dioxymoron · 8/10 · 18 February 2010]

A fractured spin on the Alice In Wonderland story.

I just watched this film and I was enchanted from start to finish. I highly recommend this film to anyone who has a twisted sense of humor.

The characters were intriguing and the film kept me guessing, I didn't see the ending coming. Definitely worth seeing. Some excellent acting and concepts. Maggie Grace (Alice) And Danny Dyer (Whitey) both perform their rolls with excellence and they have a wonderful chemistry together.

It Is definitely worth taking the time to watch this film, it's a confusing ride, but well worth it.

Can't finish it

[marcresto · 6/10 · 6 February 2021]

Meh,

It's not interesting It's boring





,.......

Awful ,

[datahoover · 1/10 · 14 February 2010]

I have just watched this movie , and want to ask the producers for a refund on the 87 minutes of my life i have just wasted, i would rather have sat here painting grains of rice, that would have been a better use of 87 minutes.

Back to the film itself, Danny Dyer and Maggie Grace are good in the film, the script is absolutely awful, the directing awful, and then to add to the calamity there are areas of the script that suddenly steal ideas from another film i watched this week that i will not name.

I highly recommend giving this a miss, the people that gave this a high rating must either have been the rest of the cast of the film , or fallen asleep at the start, dreamed of a good storyline, then woke up thinking that was the movie they just watched..

A Visual Treat

[creaturefeeture · 26 August 2010]

Though the film may lack a bit of depth, Malice in Wonderland is a visual treat that any fan of cinema or the Lewis Carroll stories can enjoy. Similar to Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, Malice in Wonderland is a modern day take on the Alice and Wonderland story that begins with a young blonde girl running from henchmen who is suddenly hit by a cab driven by a snarky but charming man named "Whitey" (the white rabbit) causing her to lose her memory. In a rush, Whitey throws her in his cab and takes her through a long tunnel (the rabbit hole) into his world of gangsters, neon lights, and house music. The entire film revolves around this woman trying to figure out who she is, where she is, and where she needs to be. Along the way meeting a handful of interesting characters: the caterpillar, the mad hatter, the queen, etc. The characters are a bit subtle and usually not formally introduced so a quick peak at the trailer will give you a good idea of who is who if you need it. I found myself extremely entertained throughout the entire film. Visually, this movie is fun and beautiful. It's pretty well acted, especially for a low budget film. The pacing is fast and keeps you interested. Though the ending was a bit of a disappointment (I wont spoil anything) and the story overall lacked a bit of depth, compared to other Alice book to film adaptations this is definitely my favorite (and I've seen almost all of them except Tim Burton's). Definitely worth a watch! Go see it!

This is NOT a good movie. It's a failure.

[FountainPen · 2/10 · 26 February 2018]

This is NOT a good movie. It's a failure. However, a few "reviewers" have rated it 10/10. One of them has reviewed less than ten movies; another, called "Jane Regan" titles her review "Beautifully Filmed & Feel good Movie with a Great Beginning Middle and End!". Ridiculous... is she a cast member? a crew member? a friend or relative? I NEVER trust 10/10 ratings: I find usually that, like this one, the "reviewer" has reviewed only a few films, in this case only 4. Anyway, AVOID this lousy attemot at movie-making... it is all over the place, boring, and badly filmed. Don't punish yourself.

Interesting

[X_Azathoth_X · 8/10 · 15 February 2010]

I had never heard of this movie so I had no idea what to expect (other than some Alice in Wonderland reference), and I was pleasantly surprised. I only know Maggie Grace from her role as one of the worst characters on Lost, so I was also surprised that I could see her on film without hoping she'd get hit by a bus (I guess that means she's a good actress?) There are some truly zany characters in the movie, and you just have to roll with some of the situations, but all in all it kept me entertained from start to finish. I was kept involved enough in the story and travels of Alice that I really didn't see the ending revelation until it happened (most of the info was alluded to but never really exposed). I wouldn't call it a romance, or an action flick (although there are some violent scenes), it sort of defies description, but it's worth a watch.

Only movie where I've heard "Trust me, I'm a DJ"

[Gold_Fish · 2/10 · 24 June 2020]

I can't begin to describe this utter piece of crap (can I say crap in a review?). Yep it's Alice in Wonderland with drugs and pimps and ugly broads. Put in a few hard-core street accents and you have this train wreck.

It was moronic at best, unwatchable at the worst.

Beautifully Filmed & Feel good Movie with a Great Beginning Middle and End!

[janeregan · 10/10 · 12 April 2010]

As soon as the movie started i got the sense it would be good. I'm someone who can tell within the first ten minutes whether a movie will be worth watching. It was filmed in an awesome way. The story line was lovely, made me cry at the end. I remember thinking at the beginning- i hope the end is as beautiful as the movie begins. It was very twisty and unique. The main characters were authentic and the movie had a really beautiful ambiance about it. My boyfriend and I enjoyed it throughly. I was left with a really good feeling at the end of the movie. It is a movie which touched all of my emotions. There were some amazing characters throughout the movie- it's rarely that i see a movie where pretty much all the actors and actresses are on a par in terms of the quality they are bringing to the movie. The movie was throughly enjoyable to watch. I gave the movie 10 stars as i didn't find any faults in the movie at all and it lived up to my expectations.

Weird, so very, very weird.

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 15 January 2011]

I stumbled upon this movie by sheer randomness. Never heard about it before, and picked it in lack of better things to watch. I was expecting something in the likes of "Alice in Wonderland", but found this movie to be just a tad too weird for my liking.

The characters in the movie was very unique and quirky. And the actors and actresses portraying them actually did a good job with their roles, and the acting and dialogue came across the screen quite nicely. Danny Dyer, in the role of Whitey, was actually the most memorable and outstanding character in my opinion.

There were a lot of really weird scenes and places throughout the movie, and I guess it is an acquired taste with a movie like this. Truth be told, then this movie wasn't particular in my liking. "Malice In Wonderland" also had some really interesting music in it.

The movie is not bad, and it was actually nicely put together, from the imagery, the directing and the acting. And I am sure a movie like this will have a particular audience out there somewhere.

Down the rabbit hole

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 3 October 2016]

Malice in Wonderland is a modern gangland reworking of Alice in Wonderland transplanted to modern day North East via London. Well it stars cockney geezer Danny Dyer as black cab driver, Whitey also known as White Rabbit.

Maggie Grace is Alice Dodgson, an American law student living in London who ends up in a daze after being hit by Whitey's cab and ends up in a surreal underground world of fairgrounds, nightclubs, gangsters. There are fleeting appearances from a night time DJ, Felix Chester. Homophobic bouncers Dom and Dean Tweedle as well as other Wonderland characters with a twist who aid or hinder Alice.

The film is an interesting misfire. It never quiet gels or is coherent enough. I think the film was also hampered by its low budget. It still has a surreal and inventive element to it.

Pretty awful and just a big waste of time all round, really

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 2/10 · 16 May 2010]

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

A young woman named Alice (Maggie Grace) runs in front of a cab driven by Whitey (Danny Dyer) who ends up being her unwitting chauffeur through-out a series of increasingly wild and outlandish events that lead to explain why she's being hunted by a load of people for...some reason or other. Malice in Wonderland has the dubious honour of being the one film I've seen in ages where if a plot existed, I failed to make it out. Obviously intended as a post modernist take on the well known 'Alice' in Wonderland fairy tale (given even more credence given Tim Burton's recent big screen adaptation of the story) all it really manages to achieve is a complete and utter feeling of 'what the hell is going on?' It's a messy bad acid trip of a film, which I've just found out is set in the North East of England but could just have easily have been London for all I could make out (even more confusing given the inclusion of cockney actors Matt King and lead star Dyer.) If even early on, it's got you lost and confused it doesn't get any easier as it goes on and Simon Fellows never lets up on the increasing eccentricity and nonsense.

Dyer remains one of the more curious actors of this generation, so it's always interesting to see where his career goes, but more far off projects like this might get him a more off kilter fan base. *

funny that

[mamcglinn · 10/10 · 23 February 2010]

another sleeper hit for me i just finished watching this and from the reviews i have read this movie is very under rated.

since i heard that Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland was coming out it has sent me on a spiral down the rabbit hole once again trying to find all movies about the twisted tale...

This one definitely hit the mark with me pretty much all the characters from the original story are in there.. just with a twist..

If you don't like movies that make you think and spin you out like your on some sort of trip you wont like it

But if you don't like tripper movies why are you watching alice in wonderland ..

Tim Burton's gonna have to do some thing spectacular to beat this in my eyes but i suppose hes got a bigger budget and is aimed at kids to subconsciously send them into a drug fueled adolescence..

Circles Circles We all move in circles! ..

bring back the mushies !!!!!... Wooooo hoooo!

Random, chaotic mess

[grantss · 2/10 · 7 August 2020]

A random, chaotic mess. Yes, I know that Alice in Wonderland was supposed to be chaos-filled, but this is just random for the sake of it. Tries to be clever, and just ends up very lame.

Decent cast - Maggie Grace, Danny Dyer, Matt King - deserve a lot better.

Brilliant!

[CatlinBlaze · 10/10 · 27 July 2010]

I have got to say, when I picked this movie up out of BlockBusters, I didn't hold very high hopes for it, but I was thoroughly engrossed the moment I put it into my DVD player.

I don't feel that the DVD cover fits in very well with the movie itself considering there are only two shootings, but I felt that apart from that it was very well made. Unfortunately, thanks to this small feature and the title of the film, my friends refuse to watch the wonder of this world with me. Bear in mind right now that I was the one who introduced them to the Hangover.

I simply adored the methods used to put the traditional sense of 'Alice in Wonderland' into London. I must admit that my absolute favourite line was, "She stole my tarts!" I thought that was very clever personally, to be able to incorporate so many facets into the film.

Well done!