Customer Reviews

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Widescreen Edition)

5 star:		(206)
4 star:		(118)
3 star:		(66)
2 star:		(64)
1 star:		(81)

 

 

I once made the comment that most of the entertainment today is in very bad shape. The industries are trying to relive past glories, especially music and movies. Most of the money being made in the music industry is reissues, HDCD releases of well-known titles, delux reissues, legacy reissues, offical releases of bootlegs, greatest hits, and any and all repackaging of classic albums. And they all use well known, classic, big name artists, because they know people will buy it. Because the majority of new CDs, and new artists aren't of any real quality, they have to rely on the old stuff to make money. The same can be said of the movies. It's all sequels, prequels, remakes, and remodels.

Accordingly, I was not thrilled when I heard a new version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was coming out. When I learned it was a Tim Burton/Danny Elfman/Johnny Depp production, I was less skeptical. When I saw a trailer, I was interested. When I heard Danny Elfman was writing/composing the music AND doing the vocals, I was excited. The collaboration is great, almost to the point of excusing all their pretensiousness and self-absorbtion... enough quibbling. On to the movie!

It holds many of Tim Burton's staples; it is dark, stark, eerie, and filled with the regular unnamable props, but he has allowed joy into the equation. The movie is much better for it. There is rich color, specifically in the factory, to match the rich imagery and funny comparisons of Willy Wonka. Depp is cast perfectly in this role, which is not really apparent unless you see the movie. He is funny, quirky, confused, and innocent; much different than the brilliant, strong character played by Gene Wilder in the original. The children who find the golden tickets and their parents do a great job too. Perhaps my favorite part is the wild card, Danny Elfman. If you don't know WHO Elfman is, you're sure to have heard his music whether in any number of cult classic 80's films (Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman 1 & 2), his TV themes (The Simpsons), his musical-esque movies featuring his vocals (Nightmare Before Christmas-- an absolute classic soundtrack), or his 15-plus years of work as the vocalist/writer/guitarist for 80's heavyweight Oingo Boingo. "Charlie" is the 11th time Tim Burton has used Elfman as his composer, and this is arguably their greatest work together (though I prefer "Nightmare Before Christmas").

The movie itself is quite interesting, moving into parts of the Willy Wonka story the orignal movie didn't, relying more on the Ron Dahl book. Note: even the lyrics to the four Oompa-Loompa songs are the lyrics from the novel. We learn that Willy became a chocolateer to spite his father and is forever haunted by this falling out. An eventual redemtion of their relationship serves as a very positive pro-family element. Best of all, it's clean. Nothing negative, offensive, or disturbing is presented, meaning a green light for families and kids; a HUGE plus. The problem of lacking special features is corrected here, but you can save a few dollars if you don't mind a slimmer package. A great, big, fun movie.

Overall: 9 out of 10.

I'm the first person I know who would completely go against Hollywood for remaking what is, in my eyes, a classic. I've always been vehemently opposed to remade classics such as 'Planet of the Apes', "Psycho', and the list goes on, with Hollywood taking some perfectly wonderful classics and simply ruining them in the name of more money and a lack of original ideas.
Yet with a remake and rename to 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory',I was pleasantly surprised for two reasons:
1) The original grasped at some potentially high-tech-like and creepy scenes that would've looked much better with good technology, which, at the time, was unavailable (creepy boat scene in the chocolate waters, the TV Room scene with the little boy who shrunk, the glass elevator ...or, respectively, Wonkivator. These scenes looked great in the remake - when good movie-making technology remakes a classic that didn't yet have the equipment, it makes it look good, and in this case, looks DO stand to benefit the movie.
2) As a nutty fan of Gene Wilder, who did a wonderful job as the original Willy Wonka, I do think Johnny Depp worked for this movie, and worked very, very well. People need to stop criticizing him. For one, he's a good actor. Second, he's also a great COMIC actor. He picks up on the nuances, has excellent timing, and shares a similar facial control to Gene Wilder, enabling him to deliver comedic lines with that same dead-pan stillness which Gene Wilder was notorious for. Johnny Dep is also one of the few actors today who is unafraid to take chances, and his Wonka character was creepy in how androgynous and eccentric it was. I laughed when he seemed to throw up a little in his mouth evert time the term 'parents' came up. I don't think any other actor would've been as good for the role of Wonka.
All in all, the acting was actually very good in this movie, including the minor characters. I always found Charlie to be a minor character in this movie, and in this remake I kept thinking 'Tiny Tim' or 'Oliver Twist'. I kept expecting Charlie to finish a chocolate bar and then grovel to Wonka, "Please sir, can I have some more?" He was cute, in that gaunt, poor way, and I had the urge to feed him lots of porridge.
Now, the bad: Overall, the story is okay, though there are some key elements missing, and those were what put a big damper on the movie for me. The mysterious man in the original, whose name I forget, the one who acts like a competitor for Wonka's chocolate recipes, trying to secretly bribe the children into extracting a piece of candy to analyze the ingredients, is missing. His character, in my opinion, was central. He was essentially greed, one of the main motivators of it. He was a test to distinguish which child was natually loyal, and which was a greedy little brat.
In the remake, Charlie automatically wins by default because all the other kids are gone. Wonka, for being so concerned about his precious Ooomap-Loompas and factory, is willing to surrender it all to a random boy simply based on DEFAULT? I think not.
And to make matters worse, there was that little wounded child scenario, with Wonka's estranged daddy, and the reunion. I think I threw up in my mouth a little when I saw that. Don't mean to sound cynical here, but the beauty of the original "Willy Wonka" was about a mysterious, cynical man whose heart melts when he finds someone worthy and loyal enough that he can trust as his heir, not his therapist, for cryin' out loud. The beuaty was that Wonka never needed to explain to himself...he was a weird, eccentric guy, unapologetic and, well, weird. The other thing about him was that he was enigmatic. Does anyone remember a time when a character could be this way without being BAD? Does anyone remember when enigmatic, unexplained behavior in a character, in a FANTASY story no less, worked, without everyone needing to jump on the bandwagon and dissect the character, coldly sucking out his insides and calling him a pervert? It's just sad.
This daddy thing just ruins Wonka's character completely and keeps pointing out his shortcomings and bad childhood. I felt like I was beginning to read the introduction to a very bad self-help book after a while. This was a movie, after all, a fantasty, not a self-help book, or am I wrong??
All in all, the acting was great for me, but the script was poorly written. Someone took their Daddy issues and insisted on shoving them in, which annoyed me. But I think it's an okay movie, as long as you have the classic handy and watch that too, because that is the real thing.

First off, yes, I am a fan of Tim Burton. I even own every one of his movies on DVD (though one or two of them I could live without). But that's not the point. The fact is, I respect his vision as an artist; and his ability to create such surrealistic worlds that are both weird and wonderful are just enough why I idolize him.

Okay, now, some of you may wonder, if this is a direct remake of the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that starred Gene Wilder. Actually, no, even though it's the same story concept. The only difference is that this film pays more homage to the book (MUCH more homage) and is (of course) AMAZING to look at. The storyline now, is simple enough (because I'm under the impression that a lot of people have seen the original film): Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore) is a boy from an impoverished family living under the shadow of a giant chocolate factory, who eventually wins a candy bar contest and is given a tour, along with four other children, of the amazing factory run by the eccentric Willy Wonka and his staff of Oompa-Loompas.

Performance wise, this movie belongs to Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore, who are able to recreate their chemistry from Finding Neverland. However, quote: "Depp's Wonka is far less cuddly than that of Gene Wilder, playing it more like a demented Mr. Rogers with more than a bit of a sadistic streak. The way that he watches the kids meet their fates with giddy glee is quite disturbing, but it's hard not to enjoy this quirky hermit's complete lack of social skills."-Edward Douglas, [...] (sorry, but the guy explianed it perfectly)Also, I'd like to clear this up out of my system before it does any more damage, but it seems A LOT of ....people are comparing Depp's Wonka w/ a certain pop star so much that it really just sickens me. This assessment can be contradicted however. First reason (and this came from no other than Depp himself): In an interview, Johnny said he had NO INTENTION whatsoever to base his character off of Micheal Jackson. Second reason: Willy Wonka is a recluse, so he's supposed to be strange, weird, crazy, whatever. I mean, the guy shunned himself from society for 15 years so he's going to be pale, out of style/trend, and a bit behind. Also, throughout the movie, we're shown flashbacks of Wonka's past that are used to explain his weirdness. There, end of story. Freddie Highmore's Charlie is more sad than the original one, so much that you'll want to hug him b/c he's so optimistic depsite living such an impoverished lifestyle. Another performance nod goes to Deep Roy, who plays all the Oompa-Loompas w/ such panache. Everyone else is respectable in their performances.

Now, aesthetically, this film is amazing; in fact, this is Burton's most visually striking film to date. He yet again creates such surreal and imaginative landscapes that it's just real eye candy to look at; the factory rooms being the prime example. Some of the wacky machinery used to create candy is just as impressive and actually looks like it could work. Yet, as w/ the original film, this film creates an atmosphere that could unnerve sensitive folks. The boat ride down the chocolate tunnel is not the acid trip that was the original, but rather like an intense roller coaster ride. Also, for those who have seen the original, the four kids who fall to their weaknesses (loosely speaking: gluttony, pride, avarice(that's greed) and sloth) and punished for not heeding warnings are a bit more dangerous (thanks to the evolution of filmmaking) and look fatal, but are not.

Also, another treat in this film is to hear composer Danny Elfman (who has composed pretty much all of Tim Burton's films to date save for Ed Wood, which was scored by Howard Shore) sing again. He sings all the Oompa-Loompa songs provided by the lyrics written in the book with such style that you can't help but tap your feet. For the record, he also sung in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Well, I believe I covered over everything. Overall, real faithful adaptation that surpasses the original in practically every way (sorry, but...my opinion). Also, the ending is different, both from the book and the original film; but still good. This is also Burton's best film next to Ed Wood and redeems him from his Planet of the Apes remake (what was he thinking w/ that?). Anyways, great film: just as wacky and twisted as you might expect but nonetheless wonderful to look at and as magical as the original.

This movie is really good. Several other reviewers are unfairly comparing it to the the 1971 Gene Wilder version, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." The Johnny Depp version is actually much closer to the children's book written by Roald Dahl. In fact, Roald Dahl completely hated the Gene Wilder version because the film makers changed everything in his book. One reviewer says that Johnny Depp's portrayal of Willy Wonka was scary and wierd. Well, if you've read the book, you'll know that Willy Wonka is supposed to be scary and wierd.

Brandon Simpson,
[...]

It was with this movie that I found out that Johnny Depp was such an adept actor. He has acted in my movies and they are all very different characters that he has played previously. I enjoyed this movie because it gave a whole new spin on the old version of the movie. I really liked and enjoyed the new spin with new music and a new Willy Wonka character. You will really enjoy this version. It is for the whole family!!!

I'll start off by saying I've never been a fan of Johnny Depp. So it surprised me that I really enjoyed this movie - and have watched it multiple times, all because of Depp.

Yes, I grew up on the original film version of the book and Depp's performance of Willy Wonka was one of an eccentric chocolatier. One that Gene Wilder tried to pull off, but wasn't as successful. Depp's Wonka clearly is more insulated the Wilder's and is creeped out by kids and parents alike. Wilder's Wonka was mildly removed.

The costumes, hair and the teeth only accentuate the left of center behaviour that Depp portrays. Anyone thinking his is a throw away performance needs to look closer.

The story is no less child-friendly than 'Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory'...though I don't find Elfman's 'Oompa-Loompa songs as enjoyable. The kids are ok - Charlie being the best of them, though I loved Veruca Salt (still not as good as the original Veruca). I will say I didn't not understand Violet's 'flexibility' at the end of the movie at all. And the kid they got to play Mike Teevee has eerily physicial similarities of the original kid.

..and really...you can't go wrong having Christopher Lee as Wily's dad.

Visually, there was no one other than Burton to (re)make this movie. I thought both he and Depp did a great job.

By creating a beautifully crafted town with a mysterious chocolate factory at one end of the town and the struggling Bucket family living in a shabby, tilted and weather beaten house at the other end, the audience was treated to a wonderful journey.

The chocolate bar making at the factory in the opening credits was a great animation sequence, especially the wrapping of the bars by the robotic hands. Don't enter the cinema late!

While the Bucket family was deprived from food and material comforts, it was more than made up for by the love and attention among the son, parents and 4 grandparents. Charlie's quest for one of the five golden tickets to the chocolate factory was never smooth and easy. His heart (so did the audience's) sank lower each time the news announced another ticket found elsewhere and he himself unwrapped another ticketless bar. The atmosphere was intense when Charlie's grandparent sent him to buy one more bar with his own last coin. When the screen darkened as the grandfather closed his eyes, the audience suspected that the grandfather was just gone for good. Not so, fortunately.

The second part of the movie took us to watch how the rich kids, succumbed to temptations (gluttony, spoiledness, competitveness, TV game addiction), were eliminated one after another (reality show?). In the nut sorting room, when the innocent looking squirrels, sensing the threat of the approaching girl, stopped their nut-cracking and prepared for attack, gave people the creeps.

Charlie's grandparents and parents, with their big screen shots, have displayed their love of Charlie well. But it was Freddie Highmore who was a natural. He portrayed the young and determined Charlie who would not give up his family for anything else. Johnny Depp, with his sinister look every now and then when he detected the unlovable traits of the "sophisticated" children, built up an unpredictable and secretive air around him.

The inside of the factory was richly imagined and luxuriously decorated, from a food paradise of luscious colours to top of the notch invention room and flying elevator. The movie succeeded in placing that the people at the centre, they were never dwarfed nor sidetracked by the special effects and the colorful props.

Does the movie appeal to the child side in every person? Absolutely. Does the film appeal to the adult side in every one? To some extent. Yes. A delightful movie with a heart this is.

I watched just for the Tim Burton FX, but surprisingly got caught up in the story.Never read a Roald Dahl story, saw a piece of the 70s "Willy Wonka" movie, but couldn't stay there long.

This movie starts out very cold,dark and bleak (better for the uber-Technicolor entrance into Wonka's factory.) Depp's portrayal is rather unnerving in its similarity to Michael Jackson. Wonka is getting old, needs an heir and wants Charlie to divorce his family and come live with him in the factory without any other adult intervention. Kinda creeps me out. However, up to that point the movie is quite entertaning and a feast for the eyes (up to the ride in the candy Viking ship it's best), after that the sets get a little sterile.

What surprised me was that Wonka does not like kids; he especially despises RUDE kids (and isn't society over run with these nowadays!!!) Each little rude punk gets punished, but the punishments are not at all imaginative, in fact each one gets more boring. If Burton stayed true to the Dahl book, I wish he could have come with more interesting punishments.

Overall, very good. I started to watch just to see the effects, watched the whole thing and watched it several more times. 4 stars for sets, effects, 2 for story.

Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory begins extremely well. Right off the bat, we see Burton's trademarks just about everywhere. The Bucket's dilapidated house, all shadows and bizarre angles. Wonka's chocolate factory, looming castle-like, seems to stretch upwards forever as the camera pans up from the bottom. Also at the beginning, the script and cast really sucker us into Charlie's little world. A much better intro than the Gene Wilder version, Burton's take introduces us stupendously to the characters in such a way that, by the time twenty minutes roll around, your insides are quivering in anticipation at what is in store for Charlie. Sure, we all know the story, but one still feels that anticipatory, warm sensation of excitement.

When the children walk through the gates of the factory, they come face to face with what look like eerie robo-puppet rejects from Disneyland's "It's a Small World" ride. They look absolutely delightful and creepy, twist about mechanically, singing Willy's theme song ("Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka, the amazing chocolatier..."). When a fireworks display goes awry, they melt and ooze and, in true Burton style, their eyes pop out of their sockets, leaving what was cutesy and childish looking more like something hideous from a Chucky movie.

Inside the factory, one notices how different this film is from the original and, at first, this adds to the excitement. There is no gigantic clause to sign, no lickable wallpaper, no shrinking hallway with a piano lock on a little-bitty door. Instead, it just looks like a really expensive hallway. There is a little door, which Wonka opens with a key, and then...*drumroll*...it's the chocolate waterfall room!

Wonka proceeds to tell the children, in his helium-rich voice, to go have fun and eat what they will. He says everything is "eatable" and that, "even I'm eatable, but that is called CANNIBALISM, and is generally frowned upon." That line holds the promise of fiendish delights and dark Burton humor, giving the viewer ever more excitement.

However, don't hold your breath.

As soon as glutton Augustus Gloop falls into the chocolate river, getting sucked up the pipe, you start feeling like you've "been there, done that". Sure, it's a remake, but shouldn't this all feel fresh and new? A step above and beyond the previous film?

Well, then the Oompa Loompas make their debut appearance, of course. Thankfully, the orange skin and green hair are gone, replaced instead by very, very short people with Cool Whip coifs. Knowing that the Oompa Loompas possess the only musical moments in the film, you can't wait to hear those lovely little devils lecture about the rotten nature of the children.

But wait, what's this? Synchronized swimming? I kid you not - gone are the endearing Oompa Loompas, replaced instead by nauseating performances that range from the just-mentioned synchronized swimming to disco to 70s long-haired hard rock bands. It COMPLETELY removes you from the plot of the film, making you feel like you accidentally wound up at a really terrible American Idol audition.

The movie genuinely lost me when the Oompa Loompas first showed up swimming, but I wasn't ready to give up on the film just yet.

Next we had the grand boat ride through the tunnel - a flat-out disappointment. In my opinion, this was one of the best moments in the previous version. However, here I was left in the dust during what should have been an exciting, whirlwind ride through tunnel upon tunnel. The fast motion and bright pink seahorse boat, though visually, erm, NICE, weren't able to hold a candle to Wilder's crazy-eyed "There's no earthly way of knowing..." and scenes of chickens getting their heads chopped off.

From the first appearance of the Oompa Loompas up through the end, the film just feels cheap, rushed, un-Burtonesque, and unbearably and embarrassingly BAD. The songs suck, the acting is extremely sub-par, the visuals, though colorful, are VERY lacking, Wonka's childhood flashbooks are awkward, unnecessary, and painful, and the ending is just HORRID.

So, though the first twenty minutes showed high promise and had the traditional, much-loved Burton flair, by the debut Oompa performance, the movie takes a nosedive into boring oblivion and never resurfaces again.

The film is only salvaged by the first twenty minutes. The beginning promised a film of excitement, creepiness, and wonderment, but the film consisted only of Depp's creepy, awkward moments of dialogue, repeated jokes (how many times do we REALLY need to hear him say, "you're weird"? How many times do we REALLY need to see him smack his face into the elevator?). It's like the filmmakers couldn't think of anything more original, so they just decided to pound the same bland jokes into our heads repeatedly.

There will no doubt be those who commend the film for its more accurate following of Roald Dahl's book. However, after seeing the film, one has to genuinely ask the question...

Is tradition always a good thing?

In this case, it is most certainly NOT. Overall, I give it one out of four stars. Stick with the original - it was absolutely magical, wicked, and genius.

I loved this movie as a child. It had a magical aura about it, with all of the crazy creations in the factory and the eccentric and fascinating Mr. Wonka.

This version is a good modern-day representation of the movie. The sets are outstanding and creatively done. The Oompa Loompas are slightly more disturbing in this version (which may have something to do with the fact that they're all played by a single actor), but they're entertaining. There is a slight twist in plot in this version, as you get to delve a bit more deeply into Willy Wonka's childhood, but I feel it works within the story.

This movie certainly has the Tim Burton stamp on it. Even if you didn't know he was the director, you would be able to draw similarities between the feel of this movie and his others such as Edward Scissorhands. It's worth a watch.