I've been a Tim Burton fan for over 20 years. While the visual style of the movie is great, I never made the emotional connection with any of the characters in the movie. I think it's a double edged sword that i had read reviews before going and seeing. Because, at least, my expectations were lowered enough so that I wouldn't hate the film.
All in all, I enjoyed the movie. And I hope there is a directors cut on the DVD. Due to my son asking who my favorite character was and I couldn't answer, I realized that Alice is this decade's "Planet of the Apes".