A couple points I left out of the blog, but I think are worth noting:
– When Alice turns down the marriage proposal, she does it kindly yet firmly and directly (no equivocating here!) — treating her would-be fiance` with dignity. She goes on to assure her mother that just because she’s not getting married, that she’ll be able to provide for herself. She has a plan and follows through.

- I was disappointed to see LA Times film critic Kenneth Turan begrudge the decision to transform Alice into a warrior in the film:

“What is even more unfortunate is the film’s attempt to turn itself into an Underland version of “The Lord of the Rings,” complete with massed forces of good and evil inevitably headed toward a sadly generic CGI battle to end all battles….With those battle scenes in place to please the boys, Burton and company have taken special care to provide pictures of Alice as a warrior princess in full Joan of Arc armor as a female empowerment icon for the girls in the audience. While that kind of thing is always in short supply, it would be nicer if that image — and the movie as a whole — felt less like corporate moves and more like situations that came from the heart.”

I understand the desire for organic and genuine character development. But I don’t think battle scenes are just for the boys. I, for one, got a rush of excitement seeing Alice on her horse galloping into battle, and her cry of victory upon slaying the dragon as the 6th “impossible” thing she can do: “I can kill the Jabberwocky.” Chills. Just chills.