Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Widescreen Edition)Fantasy Adventure. Acclaimed director Tim Burton brings his vividly imaginative style to the beloved Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, about eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka (Depp) and Charlie, a good-hearted boy from a poor family who lives in the shadow of Wonka’s extraordinary factory. Long isolated from his own family, Wonka launches a worldwide contest to select an heir to his candy empire. Five lucky children, including Charlie, draw golden tickets from Wonka chocolate bars and win a guided tour of the legendary candy-making facility that no outsider has seen in 15 years. Dazzled by one amazing sight after another, Charlie is drawn into Wonka’s fantastic world in this astonishing andenduring story.Mixed reviews and creepy comparisons to Michael Jackson notwithstanding, Tim Burton’s splendidly imaginative adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory would almost surely meet with Roald Dahl’s approval. The celebrated author of darkly offbeat children’s books vehemently disapproved of 1971′s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (hence the change in title), so it’s only fitting that Burton and his frequent star/collaborator, Johnny Depp, should have another go, infusing the enigmatic candyman’s tale with their own unique brand of imaginative oddity. Depp’s pale, androgynous Wonka led some to suspect a partial riff on that most controversial of eternal children, Michael Jackson, but Burton’s film is too expansively magnificent to be so narrowly defined. While preserving Dahl’s morality tale on the hazards of indulgent excess, Burton’s riotous explosion of color provides a wondrous setting for the lessons learned by Charlie Bucket (played by Freddie Highmore, Depp’s delightful costar in Finding Neverland), as he and other, less admirable children enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime tour of Wonka’s confectionary wonderland. Elaborate visual effects make this an eye-candy overdose (including digitally multiplied Oompa-Loompas, all played by diminutive actor Deep Roy), and the film’s underlying weirdness is exaggerated by Depp’s admirably risky but ultimately off-putting performance. Of course, none of this stops Burton’s Charlie from being the must-own family DVD of 2005′s holiday season, perhaps even for those who staunchly defend Gene Wilder’s portrayal of Wonka from 34 years earlier. –Jeff Shannon 
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(out of 512 reviews)
Review by JWK for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Widescreen Edition)
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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.
Review by Kyle Grace for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Widescreen Edition)
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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.
Review by Brandon Simpson for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Widescreen Edition)
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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,
[...]
Review by Jennifer A. Everhart for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Widescreen Edition)
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Hi, everybody. I’m back. And I am going to compare the two film adaptations of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, one of Roald Dahl’s novels. The original from 1971 directed by Mel Stuart is known as “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, while the new one from 2005 directed by Tim Burton has the same name as the book. There have been people who compared the new one unfavorably to the original, thinking of it as another half-baked remake, like that of the over-budgeted & over-hyped Planet of the Apes remake that Burton also directed, but there are others like me that beg to differ. After all, it is NOT a remake of a classic movie, but another film adaptation of a classic book. Here is my comparison between the two in my personal opinion.
First off, let’s compare the depictions of Willy Wonka in both movies. Even though Johnny Depp gave a weird, creepy, and decent performance of Wonka like in the books, no one can beat the delightful, charming, and friendly Gene Wilder. From Depp’s portrayal in the new one, Wonka shows disdain for families as a disadvantage on fulfilling your dreams because his dentist father, Dr. Wilbur Wonka (Christopher Lee) deprives Willy of candy due to risks to the teeth. More details later in the review. Does that happen in the original? NO! In the end, Wonka brings in the rest of Charlie’s family in the first place. He was also more concerned for the others in the old one as well. I have also seen better Johnny Depp performances from Edward Scizzorhands, Benny and Joon, and the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, for example. No offense.
Now for the supporting cast of both films. They vary in terms of advantages and disadvantages. the five Golden Ticket finders, Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, Mike Teavee (yeah, I know, a silly pun), and Charlie Bucket were noticeably older in the original, but were younger in the book and new one. Veruca seemed more spoiled and grumpy in the original. In the newer film, Augustus was more of a pig and bites his ticket for comic relief, Violet processes Martial Arts skills, and Mike is smarter when it comes to technology and shows a dislike for chocolate (PPPHHHTTT!). Charlie and his family seem more poor and his father (Noah Taylor) was alive like in the book. In the book, the Golden Ticket winners could bring one or two relatives to look after you. In the films, it was reduced to just one to keep the budgets under control. So, I would give the new one the win overall.
Next up is the music department. Let’s discuss the songs. The songs of the original were memorable and original, while those of the newer one were catchy and loyal to the book. To be fair, I had a little difficulty remembering the lyrics when I first saw the new film, so I looked them up on the internet and read the book. The only exception is the annoying introduction song before the puppet set catches on fire and the music distorts (now that’s funny). Sorry, new Carlie, even though your songs are catchy, I have to give the original the win because of it having more songs with an Oscar nomination. In terms of the score, however, the new one by Danny Elfman was more catchy and suits the film like a glove, and when it comes to Elfman’s other scores, let’s say I came to expect that. So yeah, the new version wins in the score, but let’s face it, in musicals like these, the songs are usually the main focus, so I’ll give the original the win to be fair.
It seems that one common aspect that remakes improve over the original is the visual effects. In the original, some of the candy pumpkins were obviously balloons, the chocolate river looks like a YooHoo drink, you can barely see the tube connected to Violet’s suit when she becomes a humanoid blueberry, and it features the infamous demon tunnel from Hell. The visuals of the newer film were more refined and advanced. The river actually looks like chocolate, everything looks more real, the Great Glass Elevator is made entirely out of glass, and the tunnel is more of a park ride instead of a freak-out (thank god). The new film wins on the effects by a long shot.
Last, but not least, let’s talk about the plot, the aspect that matters the most. The premise is the same. It is about a poor boy named Charlie Bucket, who is a big fan-boy of Willy Wonka. Wonka decodes to hold a competition to search for five golden tickets hidden in five Wonka bars and the winners would gain access to the factory for a tour and a chance to win a lifetime supply of chocolate. I already discussed the ticket winners in the supporting cast section. The greedy kids would mess up and end up in a horrific fate. Augustus would fall into the Chocolate river and get sucked up by a pipe, Violet would try Wonka’s meal gum and become a blueberry, Veruca gets ambushed by squirrels and dropped down the garbage chute like a bad nut (falls down a trap door in the Golden Goose room like a bad egg in the original during her musical number), and Mike tests himself for a television project like the giant candy bar and becomes tiny. All that leaving the room for Charlie to win the factory as Wonka’s successor. The plot in the new one is more in depth. It is closer to the source material in terms of main premise and tone, but has its share of minor changes as well. For example, the subplot on Wonka’s troubled past is original to explain his origins and keep things fresh. The events of the past when Wonka went downhill thanks to spies stealing his secret recipies were also shown and features a bit with Prince Pondicherry and the chocolate palace that melted into a giant chocolate puddle on a hot day. Like the book, it shows what happened to the other contenders. Augustus seemed a little thinner and covered in chocolate and apparently fused with it. Gee, does that sound familiar at all? Violet became more flexible and still blue. Veruca and her father are covered in garbage and Mike was overstretched by the taffy puller. Also in the new one, continuing from Willy’s past, while helping clean the fireplace while his father was busy with a patient, he finds a piece of chocolate that missed the fire, tastes it, and was hooked. He goes on a journey of knowledge about candy. When his father disapproves of this, Willy leaves for Switzerland with his mother to follow his dreams. He sees that his old home disappeared when he went to stay with a neighbor for the night. Willy goes to see his father with Charlie and it was revealed that he showed remorse for his actions since he had a ton of media from Willy’s fame. Willy learns the true value of family and still took care of his teeth and Wilbur learned to accept his son for who he is. Another key difference is like in the book, Charlie and Grandpa Joe do not mess up! It’s just more straightforward and knows what it wants to be.
In conclusion, even though I loved both of these movies, I enjoyed the new one a little more (3-2), mainly because of a more developed plot and was more similar to the book. Congratulations, Tim Burton, on another job well done! I also did a survey at my school one time on both films, and the original received the most votes from adults, and that is understandable because it was probably the one they grew up with. If you are like me, I would check them both out. They are worthy additions to add to your movie collection. See you next time!
Review by Matt for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Widescreen Edition)
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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.