Imagination is a Wonder-ful thing. I remember fondly dreaming of a house with catapults, fire poles, human laundry chutes, 3D bedroom mazes, a US-shaped swimming pool, and an octagonal TV room filled entirely with pillows. Sure, but when you talk to a contractor about it, you hear nothing but “codes” and “sir, I’m calling the police.”
Living in some sort of Truman Show world where theme parks don’t exist, June (voice of Brianna Denski)
and her mom (Jennifer Garner) have built their own, a mini version they call “Wonderland,” where June can have all sorts imaginary fun to make up for being an only child. In the movie’s best scene, June collects all her friends and creates a real-life go kart path starting from her roof and charging through the neighborhood. Several bills later, the parents put an end to that. One disease later (mom), and June’s imagination ends. Oh well, fun while it lasted.
At this time, I’d like to describe Wonderland: it’s an amusement park. Call me blasé or cynical, but if you’ve seen a genuine amusement park, like Disneyland or Six Flags Wherever, you’ve seen Wonderland. Yeah, I suppose it has an innovation or two, like a talking chimpanzee that creates everything with a magic pen, plus two irresponsible beavers in charge of all ride repairs, but with essentially no security, it doesn’t matter that all patrons get a free monkey doll, that park is going to Hell one way or another. Only imagination can keep it from vandalism and permanent disrepair.
I described the park because on her way to math camp (“Camp Awe-sum,” isn’t that cute?), June stages an escape and ends up in the forest where she finds … Wonderland. There’s no existential explanation as to how June has suddenly happened upon her imagination come to life; it’s just there. And it sucks, because the plush monkey toys have turned into Chimpanzombies, intent on destroying every last bit of the park.
Well, I suppose Wonder Park had to get a plot in there somewhere; film wasn’t gonna write itself. The problem with Wonder Park is the problem with snippets of imagination: where’s the plot? We all imagine fantastical things. Some are awesome; some are things you shouldn’t repeat, let alone attempt to legislate. But if you’re like me, very few of your fantastical dream world images come with a genuine movie-ready plot. That’s why we tell them to family, friends, and therapists instead of writing them down for screenplays. Wonder Park is the embodiment of plotless imagination. I see how cool it is to have your thoughts come to life … now, what do you do with them? Do you see what I’m getting at?
Wonder Park set out to connect a girl with her imagination and instead had me Wonder about the deep recesses of her mind: did June really find her imaginary world come to life (How? Why?), or is this a psychological breakdown caused by her mother being at death’s door? And why is her imagination attacking her in the form of Chimpanzombies? There’s literally years worth of material adult June is gonna have to work out with regards to childhood trauma. Retrospectively, I say the existential question within this material is easily explained: this entire film exists within June’s mind and the only conflict here is bringing June back to reality. That plot, sadly, is part of another film, one that, unlike Wonderland, may never come to life.
♪I get up in the morning
And I know what I’m gonna play
Get out the pens and glue gun
It’s decoupage in my room ev’ry day
This glitter glue has expired!
Geez, I just had some on the shelf
Heck no! I’m not tired; the best company is myself
I can’t “un-perspire”
Pretending my little world’s more than a lark
For this satire
(It’s) time for more prancing in my park♫
Rated PG, 85 Minutes
Director: Dylan Brown
Writer: Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec
Genre: Imagination! (And nothing else!)
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Children who have dreamed of a personalized theme park
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: People waiting for a movie to break out
♪ Parody Inspired by “Dancing in the Dark”
