Warning... spoiler alert!

In 2010 Disney brought a classic film to the big screen that once opened in theaters back in 1951. Tim Burton brought the popular characters, among new ones, to life in the Disney live action remake of the original Alice in Wonderland.

Burton’s film did not necessarily end with a cliffhanger; therefore it surprised many people with a sequel. The first film included the adventure of Alice (Mia Wasikowska) in wonderland with her friends and villains. The characters were the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), White Queen (Anne Hathaway), Tweedledee/Tweedledum (Matt Lucas) and the other furry friends.

The cast returned to reprise those roles for the sequel in “Through the Looking Glass.” Alice traveled out at sea on her father’s ship “Wonderland” and returned only to discover that if she did not sign the rights of Wonderland to Lord Hamish (Leo Bill), who’s proposal she rejected in the first film, she would not be able keep her current home with her mother. For Alice and her mother, their home and the Wonderland were the only memories they had of her father.

As Alice contemplated the future of her and her mother, she stumbled upon a glass mirror that transported her to Wonderland. When she arrived she learned that she was not the only one dealing with family withdrawals. The Mad Hatter was sick and on the verge of dying because he found a reminder of his family’s’ faith. (I don’t want to spoil the entire movie so let me fast forward to the central plot of the film.) In order to save the Mad Hatter from dying, Alice had to go back in time to save his family from the Red Queens’ Jabberwocky.

New characters were introduced such as Time (Sacha Baron Cohen) and the Hightopps (also known as) the Mad Hatters’ parents and siblings. Time had a devise that can take anyone back in time; the Chronosphere. Alice retrieves this device without permission and traveled back in time to try to save the Hightopps. As she traveled back she encountered the day the Red Queen walked away from her family after a public embarrassment.

Not only did the audience see the story of the Mad Hatter but also the Red and White Queens’ too. Audiences learn why it was that the Red Queen’s head is shaped the way it is, why she does not get along with the White Queen and what she has against the Hightopps.

This is a Disney movie, targeted mainly to children and young adults. So older audiences can understand the cheesiness, clichés and life lessons. Many lessons where taught regarding Time, friendship and family. They were delivered in the simplest phrases, and as an adult I have already learned those lessons but it was a nice reminder.

A few of the lessons learned were: Time is not your friend, time is not money, time only goes forward, time goes fast, and time catches up to you. Appreciate your family because you only have one and you never know when you are going to lose them. Finally, you can not change the past, no matter what, the best thing you can do is learn from it and move on.

If these are some lessons you want your younger siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces to learn or if you need a friendly reminder then you should watch this film.