First Images from Tim Burton’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND – UPDATED

UPDATE: Yahoo! Movies has added photos for Mia Wasikowska as Alice and Matt Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedledum.  We’ve included these photos after the jump as well.

USA Today has just debuted the first official images from Tim Burton’s 3D adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland”.  I wish I could say that these images are surprising and they are for about the first half-second you see them and then you remember, “Oh, wait.  Tim Burton’s directing this.  How else would it look?”

Yes, it appears Burton imagination has run wild which is not the best sign considering the last time that happened we got “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.  Burton managed to restrain himself and do an admirable job with “Sweeney Todd” but judging from these new photos, it looks like the only thing from Burton you haven’t seen before is what a Tim Burton movie looks like in 3D.  I understand and applaud directors for having their own style and imprint on material but if it doesn’t evolve and adapt to the specifics of the story, then you’re just homogenizing your output.

While I make no judgments about Linda Woolverton’s screenplay and how this take on “Alice in Wonderland” is worth telling, hopefully there’s something worthwhile there because right now it just looks like Burton has come dangerously close to becoming a parody of himself (again).

I take more hope in Mia Wasikowska who’s playing Alice.  She absolutely blew me away with her performance in the first season of HBO’s “In Treatment” and I’m excited to see her lead this or any film.