You realise that the only reason Through the Looking Glass is different from its many special-effect summer counterparts is its fascinating characters sprung from the book.

It’s a genuine family movie, enjoyable to kids and adults both, with only small weaknesses.

The 3D, the sense of adventure and the striking visuals are all just frills trying to hard sell and underwhelming story. And if that doesn't do it, there's the one last gimmick of Alice Through The Looking Glass being the last film where you can catch the charisma of the late Alan Rickman. It's all part of an elaborate marketing equation that's certain to give plausible results. Ironically, it's attached to a story that urges kids and adults to believe in the impossible.

Ultimately this is a sequel that arrived five years too late, and brings nothing fascinating to audiences who have mostly forgotten the previous movie. This is a rare misstep from Disney whose other films lately have been of super high quality. And if the previous movie was at the advent of 3D, I wish this sequel signals the end of it.

The overt attempts of feminist touches come across as manufactured. The reconciliation in the end too isn’t good enough. At least Alice in Wonderland had Tim Burton’s visual artistry. This one isn’t remotely interesting in that regard, even if watched with a magnifying glass.