My personal opinion on Alice: Madness Returns:
It's one of my favorite games of the year.
Yes, it has some flaws. Three big ones include: 1) a lack of bosses you expect to fight, 2) graphics that don't always look "impressive", and 3) levels that drag on too long (particularly the Dollhouse).
BUT.... it has such BEAUTIFUL art direction, a really engaging Zelda-esque combat system, wonderful platforming, hundreds of secrets and collectables, lots of replay value (New Game+, Chapter Selections), original worlds and characters, some great minigames, and it flows very smoothly and responsively.
AND console owners get the original Alice game in HD, and that's almost worth a purchase all on its own (Ebay sells it for almost $150-200 depending on the version).
It was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise shooter-filled, movie-tie-in-ridden season, and it's just what I needed.
The Queen's Castle was a highlight; beautiful art, dramatic chase sequences, clever puzzles and riddles, tense battles, freakish decor and environments, and the storming the castle moment as a giant sized Alice swatting away guards by the thousands.
I recommend giving the game at least a rental. If you remotely liked the original Alice, this one is much better. It's not for everyone, but it charmed its way into my favorite game list this year.