Alice Through the Looking Glass review – second trip to Underland is far from wondrous

The 2010 Alice in Wonderland movie boasted some gothic magic courtesy of Tim Burton. The James Bobin-directed sequel is uninspired in comparison

When Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton's live-action take on Lewis Carroll's children's classic, opened in the spring of 2010, cutting-edge 3D was a relatively new phenomenon. Avatar had broken records that winter, setting the bar for the blockbusters that would follow. Audiences craving an experience similar to James Cameron's space jam flocked to Burton's film, which also promised viewers an immersive journey to a magical world. The fact that the picture was mauled by critics didn't seem to deter audiences.

After it grossed $1bn worldwide, a sequel was all but inevitable. What's surprising is how long it's taken. On the evidence of Alice Through the Looking Glass, Disney didn't use the time to iron out the kinks that made the first instalment so lacklustre. Instead, the studio has managed to deliver a follow-up that's even weaker than its predecessor. In crude terms: Alice's second trip to Underland wasn't worth the wait.