Parents' Guide to

Alice in Wonderland

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Surreal animated Disney classic with mild peril.

Movie G 1951 75 minutes
Alice in Wonderland Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 5+

Based on 29 parent reviews

LKinBC
LKinBC Parent
August 10, 2012
age 6+

Disappointing- a bit strange and scary for little kids

My kids found this movie quite scary, which suprised me as I had checked the rating here. It is a bit strange and scary fairly near the beginning and my kids (3 & 5) were both afraid and left to room.
gernacular
gernacular Adult
July 8, 2010
age 4+

For young children who are "curiouser"...

If you're trying to find some (mostly) harmless entertainment for a 4+ kid, this is perfect for you. You may have noticed that a lot of movies on this site are for 8+, so it is hard to find stuff for the very young. Especially with Tim Burton's "Alice" out now, younger kids may be "curiouser", and this Disney telling is very safe. The only think I'd like to mention is, in the scene with the "Walru s and the Carpenter", the Walrus ends up eating some oysters he's just befriended. And thay are awfully cute in the Disney-anthropomorphic way. Because of this, I thought for sure he wouldn't eat them...but he did (off-screen). My 5 year old didn't seem to mind though.
See all 29 parent reviews

What's the Story?

ALICE IN WONDERLAND, the children's classic by Lewis Carroll about the girl who falls down a rabbit hole, is presented by Disney in this lively and tuneful version. Alice is reading with her sister when she sees a white rabbit, fully dressed, muttering about being late. She follows him down a rabbit hole to Wonderland, where she grows bigger and smaller, meets the Cheshire Cat, attends a mad tea party, talks to a caterpillar who puffs on a hookah, and triumphs over the Queen of Hearts, before finding that it was all a dream.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (29 ):
Kids say (48 ):

Kids may enjoy the movie's silly characters, like the Mad Hatter and March Hare (especially the celebration of "unbirthdays"), and the tantrums of the despotic Queen of Hearts. Like another perennial favorite, The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland is the story of a girl who thinks she wants to go somewhere exciting, but, once she gets there, spends the entire time trying to find her way home. Wonderland may be different and exciting, but its inhabitants are often rude and unfriendly, even hostile.

It's worth noting that Alice does just about everything we tell kids not to do, including going off with strangers and eating and drinking things that may be dangerous. She acknowledges her mistakes in a song that kids will relate to: "I Give Myself Very Good Advice (But I Very Seldom Follow It)."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the dreamy world Alice finds herself in Alice in Wonderland. Which of these wild characters is your favorite? Why do they celebrate un-birthdays in Wonderland? Could you celebrate one right now? Why does Alice sing the song "I Give Myself Very Good Advice (But I Very Seldom Follow It)"? When did you give yourself good advice and not follow it?

  • Families can talk about how this original version differs from Time Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010) starring Johnny Depp, or how it differs from Lewis Carroll's original work.

  • How does Alice demonstrate curiosity and perseverance in Alice in Wonderland? Why are these important character strengths?

Movie Details

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