Animation quality very typical cheaply mass produced, nothing special, flat, 2-D, non-moving backgrounds. Foreground central characters also flat, lacking detail, movements very typical almost mechanical. Usual odd characters with magical associates, usually animal or spirit, but in this case a miniature boy, and interacting with humans. Usual another dimensional world needing human help to save it. In this case we have a couple of steampunk baddies out to steal a precious resource - water. Usual prince & pretty girl hooks. Storyline lacked flow with a few incomprehensibls (sp).

The resemblance to Alice stops at the journey to an alternate, if mysteriously connected, world; instead, "Wonderland" is an uneven mash-up of different Miyazaki films which is somehow more than the sum of its parts. The characterization is wanting: the Alchemist or his sidekick are uninteresting rather than mysterious, nor do we know much about their powers, let alone their personas. And who is this sleepy wizard at the end? All that aside, the portrayal of the landscape is beautiful, and the idea of having an insecure but kind-hearted (high schooler) learn about herself while being shepherded by an aunt who annoys her (and the viewer) somehow works, as she gradually opens up to adventures and connecting with people. The movie has numerous Miyazakian themes, from its steam-punk setting to the environmental theme (water is becoming scarce),but, most of all, it reminded us of one of the lesser known works in that canon: The Cat Returns, with which it also shares a very similar animation style.

My kids both really enjoyed Wonderland. They were in the mood for a Japanese movie that was better (and easier to follow) than Children of the Sea, and this gave them something strange but familiar.

Aside from the breathtakingly beautiful artwork and design from Ilya Kuvshinov, the storyline, although lacking in a some small aspects (I will discuss later),also serves as a wonderful coming-of-age story. As a teenager watching the film, it did feel very slow-paced at times, but the pacing certainly gave time to appreciate the beautiful story and to contemplate each detail of the animation while watching it.

Some moments of the film were too predictable, but that can be said about most movies, once you've watched enough to understand how directors tend to portray their target themes. The major flaw in the story is that it is indeed quite generic in plot and the message is rather simple: Akane is an ungrateful teenage girl who is well-loved by both her family and friends; she is very average and dislikes standing out (which is a common societal behavior in Japan, apparently, where you are encouraged to blend in with the crowd). So in context, the story tells about how it is important to embrace your own unique characteristics and to be brave enough to fulfill your destiny, instead of wasting the precious few chances that you might receive through your life.

This is a movie that just gets better the more you think about it. At the end of the story, I was puzzled as to why (SPOILER - skip to the next paragraph) Akane's mother seems to recognize the gift that Akane brings home and smiles upon seeing their cat lie down on it. My hypothesis is that Akane's mom was the previous Goddess of the Green Wind! Just as the royal family is connected to water in the Wonderland world, it would make sense that Akane's family is linked to the goddess of the green wind. Upon doing the math, since 1 day in the Wonderland equates to 1 hour in Akane's world, and the previous Goddess arrive 600 years ago, this translates to exactly 25 years in Akane's world. 25 years ago, Akane's mother would have been very close to Akane's age at the time, perhaps a little older (but the previous Goddess did look older in the historic artwork from the Wonderland world). This would explain Akane's mother's reaction to both her cat (she probably chose to adopt the cat because of her own adventure) and the Prince's gift to Akane. All of this lines up with the fact that Akane's handprint matches the previous Goddess's exactly; this is just a matter of genetic likelihood.

Again, these are just my own speculations, but Birthday Wonderland is sure to leave an impression on you as long as you take the time to really appreciate every detail in the movie. Yes, it is predictable. Yes, the storyline is generic. But! It still makes for a heartwarming evening to remind you of your childhood imagination, and the utterly adorable artwork will definitely bless your eyes. I teared up at the climax of the story from the sheer beauty of this artistic masterpiece, and thoroughly enjoyed the journey despite how simple the film was. Before watching, it is important to realize that this film was never meant to be a breakthrough award-winning chef d'oeuvre! It's meant to appreciated like a Studio Ghibli film, something that is touching and heartwarming and simple but with a powerful hope-inspiring message. It's what I call a 'feel-good' movie, because that's all it's supposed to do: make you feel good!