The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland (1987) User Reviews

Dumb but harmless

[ericstevenson · 5/10 · 5 September 2016]

After watching "Surf Nazis Must Die", ANYTHING would seem like "The Princess Bride" from that. This movie did the trick and even though it was still bad, it was legions ahead of SNMD. I have to admit that I was never a "Care Bears" fan as a kid. I may have had a book or two about them, but that was about it. I guess this was something that was done more for the fans. The most positive thing is that the animation is pretty good. I actually do like the Cheshire Cat character and he had a lot of personality to him.

I feel bad for not knowing any of the names of these guys except Grumpy Bear. I actually do like how they're doing something different in the series. The silliest scenes are probably when they're searching the whole world for Alice! Wow, they're pretty fast. The characters, especially the wizard's henchmen are really annoying. I do understand that this is a film made for little kids, so it should be alright for them. At least this doesn't have anything offensive in it. The plot does make little sense, so it's just forgettable. **

Class

[rachel-mary · 23 May 2004]

Maybe the reason why I love this film so much is because I remember it from when I was really little but I'll stand by saying I think that this film is quality. For sheer drama, Care Bears Movie II is probably better but this film is lighter, more comical and more colourful!

I LOVE the songs! I mean, Natalie Cole sings the opener for heaven's sake! And the Cheshire Cat, rapping, is just genius (as is Grumpy Bear rapping at the end). Alice, to be honest, annoyed me after a while but I still find Dim and Dum funny to this day (though I think few share my opinion but the scene where they think they've caught Alice in a big sack still cracks me up).

But anyway, give it a go, you might just be converted (or maybe not...!)

Watch the first "Care Bears Movie" instead!

[La Gremlin · 4/10 · 19 July 2000]

Time to clarify something. This is the movie most people accuse the FIRST Care Bears adventure of being: a saccharine squirm fest. Now I happen to like the Care Bears (I pretty much ran to their defence in my review of their first movie, which I STILL recommend), but this was just a really bad concept to begin with.

It's as if the producers wanted to do an "Alice in Wonderland" movie, then got bored about halfway through and decided to throw the Bears in. Oddly, this isn't based on the Lewis Carrol books but on Disney's version of Wonderland (so it's a movie inspired by another movie inspired by a book). Even so, it has it's moments. The way they envision the Cheshire Cat is very inventive and possibly the best reason to give this movie a look (if you've seen it already you know what I'm talking about, otherwise rent it and fast forward through any scenes that don't involve the Cat). There's a nice message about believing in yourself, but it's nearly negated by the stupid cop-out ending.

There is, however, one more thing that totally saves the movie. Three words: Grumpy Bear RAPPING!!!

Not Entirely Bad...But Far From the Best

[jarobledo3 · 4/10 · 14 August 2012]

Ever since I was three years old, I have loved the tales of "Alice" by Lewis Carroll. For several years, I have made it my sworn duty to "collect" all I can – photographs (from parks, stores, etc.), videos, games, books, etc. – related to these classics. I have never been a fan of the Care Bears: I never saw the first film, and the second film, which I saw at the age of six, bored me at most points, while the villain, Darkheart, managed to make the list as one of the few villains I've ever seen that managed to frighten me. Needless to say, I was not exactly enthusiastic when I decided to view this film...especially after reading a review on this film from "Time Out," which described it as "hemlock to Lewis Carroll fans." But, I felt it was, again, my duty to watch and "collect" it.

To say the film was a total disappointment would be untrue: the songs in this whimsical little musical are not bad, with only the opening number, "Rise and Shine," being obnoxious in the slightest. The moral(s) it teaches children are good ones to teach, although the execution of this teaching needs tweaking. I also greatly like Keith Hampshire's performance, as both the Mad Hatter and the Jabberwocky; the former's magical collection of headgear has the power to change the personalities of those who wear them. Needless to say, he needs to adopt a series of different voices, energies, and personas to make this idea work...he even does an impersonation of W.C. Fields! However, I still don't hold this "typically bland kiddy outing" (as Leonard Maltin, I believe, described it) in high regard: first of all, the designs of the characters are only slightly similar to Tenniel's timeless illustrations, and, at times, seem to be ripped off from Disney characters. (The Tweedles remind me of Maleficent's Goons, the Queen of Hearts is somewhat reminiscent of the Fairy Godmother from "Cinderella," and the Hatter looks suspiciously similar to Dopey of the Seven Dwarfs.) These colorful, "cuddly" designs are okay, I guess, and no toddler will dislike them, but it pains my eyes.

Secondly, and most importantly, is the "creative" license being taken with the characters: just the names of certain characters really tick me off. The Evil Wizard is a black bishop chess piece. Seriously, since this is based on "Alice," couldn't an Alice-styled name have been used to make things a bit more appropriate? Something like...oh, I don't know...Black Bishop?! They even change established names: Tweedledee and Tweedledum become TweedleDIM and Tweedledum. And worst of all: Stan. This is the name of the Jabberwocky. Are you serious? The most ferocious and frumnious beast in Wonderland is named "Stan?!" I understand that he's not as bad as he seems, but making the character a "good guy," and especially in the way this movie handles that treatment, is a cliché in itself, and giving him a name as plain as "Stan" makes my blood boil.

Aside from the names, there are the personalities: I find the Wizard to be a great disappointment as a villain, particularly when compared to Darkheart: there is only one vaguely frightening point in this whole film, and it lasts for a split second (fans of the Nostalgia Critic might know what I'm talking about). I understand this is a children's film, but, still, the Wizard is extremely stereotyped, both in appearance and personality, and his tune – while catchy – is far too silly to make him seem even faintly like a threat, and his plans and the way he executes them seem a bit...loose. His everlasting dependence on Dim and Dumb (who may be the most bungling of all the buffoons in the history of bumbling henchmen) also makes me wonder: just WHY does he keep these two around in the first place? We've all asked this about countless villains countless times, but in this case his use of them as goons is especially questionable, as he isn't all that smart himself, so there's no "smart boss – dumb thug(s)" relationship going on at all. It's more of a "dumb, dumber, and dumber-er" relationship.

Not only is the idea of the Cheshire Cat as a rap artist ridiculous, the design and animation of this character is really, very...strange, to say the least, and the husky, raspy voice of the character makes every scene he appears in seem really psychedelic and trippy. (Seriously: it's weirder than a Jefferson Airplane tune!)

The ending's confusing...I've already given away too many spoilers, so I won't go into too much detail. Maybe it doesn't confuse people when they (previous viewers of this film know who) switch places, but, too me, it really seems self-destructive towards the moral goal of this story, and also involves plot holes for me. (i.e. Exactly when did the switch occur?) However, the youngest of audiences probably won't notice this problem, so that gives it some leniency.

My overall decision: good for Care Bears fans, maybe, but far from great. Personally, if I want to get an "Alice" film for my kids, I'll just stick with Disney's 1951 cartoon. (It may be overrated, but you really can't go wrong there...)

The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland

[jboothmillard · 1/10 · 21 June 2005]

When I was a kid I used to be babysat, and every time we went there I would ask if we could watch The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland. At the time this used to be quite an alright film, especially for a cartoon. But now, I think it is just an excuse to remake Alice in Wonderland and put characters in it. Care Bears are met by the white rabbit and they try to find a Princess. They go to Wonderland to find her with her lookalike replacement, Alice (coincidence!). I used to like the Care Bear Grumpy, especially at the end. But I also used to like the impressions and happenings of the Mad Hatter. If I was to see this again it would be in a million years, yes it's really that bad. Poor!

A Great Musical, Children's Classic

[21bostoncalifornia · 10/10 · 5 April 2003]

I saw this as a kid in the 80s and loved it and for that reason it will always remain a part of me. I was not a Care Bears fan or anything, but this movie was a lot of fun. The characters were very developed. The story was a lot of fun. The animation was decent. And the songs really stand out. Usually, the music in animated children's movies is pretty pitiful, but these songs are good! "Everything is wonderful in wonderland", "Mad about Hats", "Dont forget to use your heart", and a whole bunch of others. It's funny, it has good messages for kids, Alice is cute, and the animations is really psychedelic because this is set in *Wonderland* of course. The wizard is scary and his two assistants are hilarious. So is the Chesher Cat. See it!

In regard to The Care Bears, this is one of their better outings

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 9 May 2012]

I am not the biggest fan of The Care Bears, but I loved the show from the 80s and the first two movies. The rest of their stuff(movies/specials/shows-wise) have been hit and miss. Luckily The Care Bears in Wonderland is one of their better outings. The dialogue is corny and over-simplistic at times and the whole explanation about the jabberwocky being mean was a little cliché and lame. However, the animation is quite nice, with the colours vibrant especially. Some of the visuals are on the psychedelic side, but considering the oddball nature of the original story and Wonderland itself it works. The music I was surprised by, the score is whimsical enough but the songs are memorable and fun, Rise and Shine, Has Anyone Seen This Girl and Mad About Hats were the standouts. I don't care for rap usually, but Grumpy's rap song was surprising and funny. The story is full of charming moments with a great, identifiable message and maintains the bewitching feel of the timeless original story. The characters also delight, the care bears are likable enough and better than their rep, with the best being Grumpy(they're saccharine sure but I think evil is far too harsh considering there are far more annoying franchise characters anyway). Alice is cute, the wizard is another memorable and scary villain to match Spirit and DarkHeart and the henchmen are hilarious. Plus I don't think I've ever seen the Cheshire Cat as cool as he is here in other incarnations. In conclusion, I like it, I've seen better movies but this is nowhere near the worst either. 8/10 Bethany Cox

good stuff, one particular memorable song

[RAMChYLD · 8/10 · 14 December 2005]

Well, let's start with the songs. In particular, the one titled "Have anybody seen this girl?". This song is by far one of the most gosh-darn addictive and memorable song I've ever heard. For some odd reason, though I no longer have the videocassette with me (my mom actually borrowed it from a friend, and have since returned it. We did get a copy of the video for our own, but it went missing shortly after too), and I've not seen the movie for around ages now, I still remember the tune to the song. I also rather remember the other songs on the movie - the one that goes "I'm mad about hats", the opening "Rise and Shine" song, and I do vaguely remember the Grumpy bear rapping end sequence.

SPOILER FOLLOWS: Overall story is kinda okay. Story starts with one of the bear's cousin's cousins or something or other appearing - it seems that the princess of Wonderland is lost. So they go search around and somehow ends up with a girl that looks just like the princess, except that the girl's name is Alice. They take her through the mirror, and we learn that the wizard is somewhat of a cog and plans to turn Wonderland into a dull gray place. Also, in a weird twist of plot,the queen turns out to be not nasty at all. She has found out that the evil wizard has kidnapped the real princess and locked her up somewhere, but without proof, she cannot take action against the wizard. So she needs to use Alice as a decoy while the Care Bears go look for the real princess. They managed to find the princess thanks to the Mad Hatter, and on another weird twist, it turns out that the Jabberwocky(think his name was Stan or something alike) was also a good guy - he was just being mean because he has a splinter stuck to his foot(cliché stuff, that). They managed to switch the princess with Alice in time for the most impossible trial of all, and upon completion of the task, the wizard, in a rage of absentmindedness, blurts out his plans for all to hear, and thus ends up getting locked up. Then they go back to Care-a-lot, and Grumpy busts a rap about food or something as the credits start to roll.

Verdict: memorable movie, and if I find the DVD or VideoCD or even videocassette on a shelf at a store, I'll no doubt snap it up. The plot itself is just mediocre, but the way the plot was written and executed - brilliant. Lots of humor, the music is darn memorable, and the characters - pleasant voice, captivating and not annoying at all. I didn't really think much of the Care Bear's TV show back in the 80s, but this movie is good stuff. Okay, maybe it's happy-sappy delusion syndrome, but remembering the songs has got to mean something positive, right?

this is a children's masterpiece!

[davrosc · 18 April 2002]

*********************** S P O I L E R S *************************

This is a classic movie. Much better than the first for young kids. So it is only loosely based on the Alice in Wonderland concept but it is highly inventive and colourful and loveable.

It also has a rare thing - some good songs! Nowadays it seems Childrens movies just get thrown around for commercial value and stuck together in no time. Effort has been put in over the songs in this movie.

I bought the video (or rather had it bought for me) back in the 80s and although I'm now in my twenties I still go back and watch it now and then.

Sad maybe but this is a great movie and definitely recommended for children and especially those born into the world of dire late 90s children TV.

ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED animated films - DISNEY COPIED from this when they made 'Aladdin'!!!

[decalderonne · 9/10 · 10 October 2021]

First of all, before I talk about DISNEY'S ABOMINABLE COPYING from this film, I have to reassure everyone that this film is 10000% better than the 2nd Care Bears film ("New Generation") which was so lamely put together that, apart from some striking animation, took the world of the Care Bears in such a bad direction that it precipitated the decline of the franchise. In stark contrast, THIS film - the 3rd one - breathes such *MARVELLOUS AND REFRESHING NEW LIFE* into the Care Bear Universe. Yes, it is only part-Care Bear movie, while the other half of the film is concerned with an updated take on Lewis Carroll's Alice/Wonderland saga, but what sets this film apart from other such crossovers is that it's A BRAND NEW ADVENTURE - it's not "the Care Bears acting out Alice in Wonderland" but rather the Care Bears finding themselves IN a FRESH VERSION OF WONDERLAND, helping the protagonist of the film (a modern day Alice) to overcome her insecurities and appreciate both herself and the life she already had.

And now, before I go into THE VIRTUES OF THE FILM ITSELF, I have to talk about the elements that DISNEY RIPPED OFF from it, without being held accountable!!!! I will never understand how the critics and audiences in the late 1980s became SO CURMUDGEONLY AND CYNICAL AND JADED as to completely dismiss and ignore the film, when it was obviously SO ARTISTICALLY MERITORIOUS as to induce Disney to steal the concepts for the Evil Wizard here and the Mad Hatter........which they would retool and reuse in their 1992 version of ALADDIN. Yes, that is correct. Only the most blind Disney loyalist would pretend like JAFAR is not a *TOTAL RIP-OFF* of the Evil Wizard here IN EVERY WAY - the character design/physical appearance, the VOICE/vocal acting, the mannerisms, and even the PLOT of an Evil Vizier who PRETENDS to be in support of the established monarchy while secretly plotting to take the crown himself. Please keep in mind that there was no such character in the original 'Aladdin' story, where the villain was NOT a part of the Princess's Court, nor trying to become King - all of that was blatantly STOLEN from THE CARE BEAR ADVENTURE IN WONDERLAND when Disney made 'Aladdin'........right down to the climactic part of the story where Jafar banishes Aladdin to THE HILLS OF A FROZEN, ARCTIC WASTELAND, which is *EXACTLY* where the Evil Wizard in *THIS* film sends ALICE!!!!! You simply cannot miss all the parallels.

Remember, THIS MOVIE came out 5 years before Disney's Aladdin, and apparently Disney decided that they could get away with stealing from it, simply because it didn't do well at the box office and didn't take off. Nelvana believed that there were simply too many Care Bear movies/sequels being released in rapid-fire succession, and that this is what led to the film under-performing so woefully at the box office, and they may be correct, but Disney decided to EXPLOIT this to their advantage. Seriously, watch this film and try to mentally substitute Jafar for the Wizard here - or better yet, the next time you watch Disney's Aladdin, substitute the EVIL WIZARD here for Jafar, and you will see what a BLATANT RIPOFF Disney pulled off - starting from the physicality and vocal performances, right down to the details of the villains' plots like I said.

But that is not all that Disney stole from THE CARE BEAR ADVENTURE IN WONDERLAND.........they also basically LIFTED THE CONCEPT FOR *THE MAD HATTER* here and repurposed it for THE GENIE in Disney's Aladdin. The Mad Hatter here keeps changing not only his physical appearance, but also his PERSONALITY and his VOICE to match whatever hat he wears - resulting in a LONG SERIES OF *HILARIOUS IMPERSONATIONS*.........which was THE EXACT SAME GIMMICK they used for the Genie in Disney's Aladdin, with the only obvious difference being that the Genie didn't wear different hats. But the endless "character impressions" and different voices and personas that the Genie keeps adopting for comedic effect is WHAT NELVANA FIRST DID HERE WITH THE MAD HATTER CHARACTER!!!!!

Shame on you, Disney. You deserve to have a fiery hole burn through your Burbank studios, and take all your Aladdin animators and executives straight down to Hades for profiting off the beautiful ruins of Nelvana's Care Bear franchise - because let's face it........Disney's Aladdin would NOT have been a hit AT ALL if they had not used Nelvana's Evil Wizard and Mad Hatter concepts for their own JAFAR and GENIE, which are the two characters that got the whole world's attention!! In fact, knowing how unscrupulous Disney is, I wouldn't be surprised if they used their influence and clout to deliberately SABOTAGE the success of 'The Care Bear Adventure in Wonderland' - which may be one of the main reasons it hasn't been released on DVD here in America - because astute fans will see how they STOLE FROM IT.

For the record, the animation here is RIGHT ON PAR with Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" and similar features - it is so lifelike and vivid and colourful and vibrant and evocative and fantastic. What is MOST ADMIRABLE about the animation is how every single 'location' in the story is rendered FLAWLESSLY - from the Cloud Kingdom of the Care Bears through all the locations on Planet Earth that they visit (not just Alice's neighbourhood, but also the dozens of other places they go to during "Has Anybody Seen This Girl?") all the way to both the PSYCHEDELIC, ZANY parts of Wonderland and the BEAUTIFUL, ENCHANTING, DAINTY aspects of the Queen of Heart's Palace Quarters (not to mention the top of Goodbye Mountain, which offers the perfect "oasis reward" for the person who climbs those mercilessly treacherous slopes - in this case, Alice).

The fact that Alice overcomes both INTERNAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL *AND* EXTERNAL/PHYSICAL OBSTACLES here makes her one of the greatest heroines in any animated film. Seriously, not only does she overcome her personal hang-ups, but she actually climbs Goodbye Mountain - the kind of thing which traditionally only a male hero would do!!!!! It might seem like a bit much for some, but the whole purpose of the story is to stretch a person to their limits and see how they can come off with flying colours, upon discovering strengths and capabilities they never knew they had, because they weren't put in those situations to prove themselves before. And for anyone who criticizes the Wizard's methods here.......it's actually TOTALLY IN KEEPING with the whole *POINT* of Alice's story arc that he doesn't just use magic against her or anything like that, but rather, he FIRST TRIES TO *UTTERLY UNDERMINE AND DESTROY* whatever little self-confidence he has to begin with (in other words, attacking her from the INSIDE).......before he sends her to the perfidious and perilous slopes of Goodbye Mountain in the hopes of destroying her PHYSICALLY, after Alice comes to believe in herself psychologically and morally.

There is an *IDIOT* on YouTube called Nostalgia Critic who TOTALLY MISSED THE WHOLE POINT, and thus criticized the Evil Wizard's methods here......this same person also wanted to know how Alice was able to climb down the Mountain so easily again, with a cup of water in her hand. This is an enchanted kingdom, and the way it should be understood is that once the individual has PASSED THE TEST and successfully made their way to the top and obtained the water from the well, they would be able to descend the mountain down a much easier slope which wouldn't be revealed or accessible UNTIL THEN. Seriously, these idiot critics need to USE THEIR IMAGINATION - but apparently they don't have one, and neither did the critics who ravaged this film back in the late 1990s.......and CERTAINLY Disney had no imagination, which is why they RIPPED THIS FILM OFF to make their version of 'Aladdin' successful.

This whole feature is a testament to the power of the imagination - which it will definitely fortify in any child's mind. The SCORE is ABSOLUTELY *BRILLIANT* - and the songs are *INFINITELY BETTER* than the atrocious songs in the 2nd Care Bear movie, which would make even Barney puke!!!!!! They are more whimsical than the songs in the first Care Bear movie, but they are PERFECT for this story. Hearing them again as an adult was nothing short of *EXHILARATING*, and they still hold up ASTOUNDINGLY even in 2021..........whereas the horrendous score of the 2nd Care Bears movie ("New Generation") is DISGUSTINGLY DATED. Don't get me wrong, the score here is still *BRIMMING WITH NOSTALGIA*, but it also has an IRREFUTABLY *TIMELESS* QUALITY which the 2nd Care Bear movie's songs could not even BEGIN to approach.

The Mad Hatter's song might strike the adult viewer as superfluous and not really advancing the plot on the one hand, but it is very much in keeping with the THEME OF *IMAGINATION* I mentioned - plus, it is the comedic manifestation of the advice given to Alice by the Princess at the end of the movie: "You're as special as you THINK you are!" (i.e: using one's HEAD/MIND). And after all, a Crown itself is a hat/head-piece when you think about it....... THE ULTIMATE HAT even, one might say......so the Mad Hatter serves as a zany, comic relief embodiment of THE QUEST FOR THE CROWN which is what the film's plot is all about - the Evil Wizard wants it and craves it desperately, and Alice doesn't think she could ever be worthy of it, but the Queen of Hearts and the Care Bears are determined to convince her and show her that she IS in fact worthy of wearing "the ultimate hat".

Some have criticized the denouement of the story, claiming it's a cop-out that the Princess herself makes the flowers bloom rather than Alice, but the Princess had to do SOMETHING to "earn the Crown", seeing as how it was ALICE that had done all the HEAVY LIFTING by climbing Goodbye Mountain for crying out loud!! Making the flowers bloom was just the icing on the cake.......the finishing touches.......but Alice had ALREADY PROVEN THAT SHE COULD *BAKE THE CAKE ITSELF*. ;)

Not too bad.

[evilgnik · 10/10 · 23 December 2006]

I was actually upset with this movie at first because I thought it was overkill. While I still think it is somewhat the movie isn't that bad. The over all story is mediocre but it wasn't done badly. Then there's the songs! I've seen all 3 care bear movies and liked all the songs in them. While I think the soundtrack to the second movie is the best - what could beat Growing Up and Forever Young?, the songs were good in this one as well. My favorites were Rise and Shine and Has Anybody Seen This Girl. The rap at the end was kind of lame but funny in a weird way. I know I'm probably being really generous, maybe because I'm biased towards care bears but I'll give this one 10 stars.

For a Few Toys More.

[tfrizzell · 28 April 2005]

The third and final entry in the dreaded "Care Bears" trilogy. This time the titled characters are basically playing off "Alice in Wonderland" with mostly ho-hum results. The youngest of audiences will be entranced by the vibrant colors of the film and the cute bears, but everyone else should stay away. Amazing to me that this concept became a marginally successful franchise. Once again though the stuffed animals made a killing during this time period as they dethroned the dreaded Cabbage Patch Kids as hug-worthy novelties we all had to have. Honestly the toys were better than the movies, at least the toys never talked or annoyed me. 2 stars out of 5.