*This review is dedicated to Alan Rickman, Joe Connolly, Lewis Carroll, and of course, Walt Disney, using their time to make the world a better place*

Never did I imagine to write a post about ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, a film I would have purposefully avoided due to 1.) financial stability and 2.) my own personal disinterest in the Tim Burton adaptation of ALICE IN WONDERLAND. But here I am, writing about ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS–a film that is guaranteed to be not only one of the best films of the whole summer (and not just because it’s starting to feel like a lackluster summer for films in general), but also one of the very best films I will probably see all year.

Come at me, Rotten Tomatoes. Come at me with your misleading 30% rating.

Look all, I was like you, okay? I saw the trailer, went “heh, another typical sequel in a big budget franchise?”, and moved on with my life to see a disappointingly average X-MEN sequel. I didn’t really think much about it, and the critics (as well as the disappointing box office returns) were all pretty much leading me in the “right” direction. That is, until I read a few of the positive reviews. Not necessarily five star reviews, mind you , but reviews from critics and audience members (specifically from one of my best friends) who thought it was not only better than the Tim Burton adaptation, but a really solid film in its own right, and was completely misunderstood. So I figured I’d take a chance, and go see it in IMAX 3D, because seriously, if you’re going to see a film with a 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, why not pay two more dollars than the typical amount? That’s logic!

Good lord.

From the VERY BEGINNING, I knew I was in for a very special cinematic experience.

Actually, quite literally from the very beginning, and this is where I go off on a tangent for a bit. This film had probably the best set of trailers I’ve seen in a while; they had trailers for films such as FINDING DORY, FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, and of course, the new trailer for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Admittedly, I felt mixed while watching the trailer for the first time on YouTube; I wasn’t too fond of the choice of Ewan McGregor’s voice as Lumiere (I felt like he was trying too hard), and for god’s sake, couldn’t there be a more creatively designed castle for fans to go nuts over? But any type of complaint I had was completely washed away when I watched this trailer for the first time in IMAX 3D. The second that the “Prologue” music started playing, and the entire castle was starting to freeze on the inside from the cold winter, my soul was legitimately shaking. I mean, this is the music of MY FRICKIN’ CHILDHOOD, and I’m hearing it in GLORIOUS IMAX SURROUND SOUND. On top of that, you have that oh-so-beautiful shot of Belle looking at the rose, which is trapped inside the glass case:

Emma Watson’s eyes are so beautiful, aren’t they?

So with that shot, along with the amount of beautiful detail found in the castle, and for god’s sake, **THAT MUSIC**, I am completely set on seeing this film in IMAX 3D on March 17th, 2017. It’s going to be a glorious occasion.

Now,  where was I? Oh yes: ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS.

I don’t know if it was the Disney Alumni Association shirt I was wearing during the film, or if it was the fact that I got a free regular-sized popcorn courtesy of my Starpass card. Or maybe it was because I performed in an absolutely breathtaking concert the night before that led me straight to the gates of Valhalla (OH WHAT A NIGHT! WHAT A LOVELY NIGHT!!).

Regardless, I LOVED this movie. I know I say that a lot about Disney films of this era, but I didn’t know I would love this one considering I felt rather “meh” about Tim Burton’s adaptation. And I thought after INSIDE OUT, ZOOTOPIA, and THE JUNGLE BOOK, this would be the film where my love for Disney would start to cool down. Whew lordy, is that NOT the case. In fact, after seeing this film, it might have accelerated even higher. I would even dare say that, at least on an enjoyment level, it might be as good as all three of the films I have mentioned before.

I emphasize might. Only time will tell.

And, ah yes, let’s talk about time. Time plays a key factor in this story, visually, thematically and emotionally. But where time was presented as a concept used for films such as HUGO, INTERSTELLAR and BACK TO THE FUTURE, Time is a mechanical humanoid in the form of Sacha Baron Cohen, and I am absolutely okay with this. When Alice (Mia Wasikowska, wearing one of the most colorful costumes I’ve seen in a while. Thanks Colleen Atwood!) first meets Time, he’s presented as if he’s going to be the villain throughout the whole film, complete with lair and all. But we find out he’s not necessarily a villain; instead, he’s a necessity for existing so that others can live their lives until, of course, their time is up.

Oh, and let’s just look at Time’s lair, shall we? Because it’s absolutely amazing:

Yeah, I guess those images represent a film that deserves a 30% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

I mean, BY GOD. Just LOOK AT THOSE IMAGES, especially the last image, where Time is walking in a heavenly area filled with tiny clocks that represent those who are continuing to live in Wonderland. Obviously the environments are created with computers, but because this is too obvious that it’s a fantasy, it’s okay for the film to feel different from what could have been used with practical effects. Time’s Lair is one of the most impressively designed digital effect environments I’ve seen in a film, filled with clocks and gears that feel inspired from another one of my favorite movies of all-time, HUGO.

But no, it doesn’t just stop there. There is a plot involving Alice trying to save the Mad Hatter’s family from being demised by the Jabberwocky, and to that, she needs to use the Chronosphere to go back in time to do so. When she uses the Chronosphere, she travels through the Oceans of Time to get where she needs to go.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a good enough image to share what the Oceans of Time looks like, but I’ll put it this way: you owe it to yourself to experience it on the biggest screen possible with your 3-D glasses in tow. Every time Alice uses the Chronosphere to cross through the Oceans of Time, it’s absolutely bonkers, and I loved every second of it. Along with Time’s Lair, it’s the stuff that movie magic was made for.

But Time it(him?)self also has a thematic presence, one with an emotional undercurrent throughout that becomes raw with emotion towards the very end. Throughout the film’s twists and turns, we come to realize that, no matter how far we go back, we can never really change what happens in the past. The past will be the past no matter how much we want to change it for the better. It’s how we deal with the past that determines the future we decide for ourselves. Huh. Kind of reminds me of another Disney classic. Take it away, Rafiki:

Oh wait, it also reminds me of another quote! Take it away, Mr. Disney:

Granted, ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS takes notes from other Disney films to create its thematic sense, but it’s still a wonderful message regardless. What films such as this, THE LION KING and MEET THE ROBINSONS teach me is that if we keep moving forward, what lies ahead could be something truly beautiful. But you have to get out of bed, make a difference, and dare to dream to do so. And sure enough, I’ve had profound experiences in my life where I got out of bed, made a difference, and dared to dream, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it.

Maybe that’s why the last few minutes of this film connected with me as strongly as some of my favorite films of all-time. I won’t give away too much, but it involves a heartfelt, thought-provoking goodbye to the point where I was almost in tears. So many things have happened within the past few years of my life that felt like they were goodbyes (granted, most of them were more “see you real soon” moments, but again, you never know what time could do). My dad passed away back during my Senior Year of high school. I had to leave Connecticut for the first time in my life to go to Rhode Island College in 2012. I had to say goodbye to my friends before I headed for the Disney College Program almost a year ago. And most of all, I had to say goodbye to my Disney College Program friends before I went back home earlier this year. Those moments were some of the hardest I’ve ever had to experience, and yet, I’ve never been so lucky to have goodbyes feel so hard.

{Spoiler-ish Side-Note: I also want to express how awesome Alice’s mother, Helen Kingsleigh, is at the end of the film. In just those couple of minutes, I felt more of a connection between Alice and Helen than I did in any of the scenes involving Merida and Elinor in (BROTHER)B(EA)RAVE.}

I’ve come to realize that this review has been, admittedly, more of a personal ode to time rather than a review of something I surprisingly, genuinely loved unconditionally. I understand that many people will not have the same experience I had while watching this film, and judging by the 30% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, that’s probably something that will not be changed, much like the past itself. Everyone has had different experiences in the past that they can see between the lines in their favorite movies, and maybe most of them don’t see it here. Film is subjective, after all.

But I did. I saw someone going back in time to discover that, ironically,  “we can never go back to before”. Sure, we can look back with complete fondness, but rather than wallowing in it, we should use the past as fuel for the future we create for ourselves. For me, ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS is not only a visual masterpiece, but a thematic tribute to the beauty, pain and wonder of time. It’s one of the very best films I’ve seen in a long time, and I hope that all of the negativity doesn’t squash its chances for a successful run.

Fairfarren, everyone. I hope you all have the time of your lives today.

I had to.