Reviews of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Horrible.

Posted : 1 year, 1 month ago on 12 October 2008 12:36 (A review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

Tim Burton is best known for butchering the Batman & Planet of the Apes franchise and has now decided to do the same to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

All he really did was take the storyline of the classic and push it a little bit deeper into the rabbit hole and shove it in the mouth of the Hot Topic generation and they ate it up like the consumer whores they are. Hm, actually, speaking of rabbit holes he's also working on a remake to Alice In Wonderland which I'm sure he will butcher as well...

And yeah, He's whoring Johnny Depp in that also.

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Not Burton's best

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 3 August 2008 09:18 (A review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

The first thing I must say is that I read this or was read this book when I was very small, so I can't recall the differences between the Musical and the book. Despite that, I could tell that there were a lot of places in the movie that went back to the original source material, just from what I remembered. I also think Tim had a huge impact on the changes from the original storyline, and anyone who knows his work will see it.

I did enjoy it, but could have done without his special addition, to be honest.


Johnny- I love Johnny. I'm a fan from way back in the teen idol days. I watched 21 Jump Street as consistently as my parents would allow (in other words, not regularly). And when he moved to movies, I made sure to watch as many as I could. I love how his career has grown, and how careful he is with the characters he chooses to play. They're always different, and he never plays the same guy twice. Even if it feels like the same role at first.

I liked him in this. But... when I first saw the original commercial for the movie, I was a little freaked out. And I couldn't figure out why he creeped me out for a long time. Until something made me compare him to Gary Oldman. His Willy Wonka reminds me of Zorg from the Fifth Element. Not that he was evil in that way, but in the horribly plasticky look they gave him. And I do understand they were trying to stylize him, but even so, it left me cold. And after seeing the movie, I also have to say that he just kind of floated through the part. He was good, he was believable, but he didn't always feel all there during some scenes, and I mean that in the not acting way, not in the "he's insane" way. As far as I'm concerned, he didn't claim Willy Wonka as well as Gene Wilder did in the Musical.

The kids- Charlie was lovely. I think the kid they got to play him did an excellent job, though there were moments in the movie where Tim (or possibly Roald, I'm not sure if the scenes were straight from the book) got a bit too preachy about how good and wholesome Charlie was. Luckily, there weren't too many.

Agustus Gloop almost felt like he was a computer animated character before they ever got to the factory. But I was pleased that his mother got a bit more screen-time in this one. It wasn't just her shrieking about Augustus.

Varuca Salt was perfect. Evil and conniving and petty.

Violet had an interesting twist to her character: her mother was the one pushing her to be competitive. I also liked that she and Mike TV ended up with reversed parents. Instead of Violet's father going along, it was her mother, and instead of Mike's mother, it was his father.

Mike was the one I had the most trouble with, to be honest. Instead of being a simple TV junkie, which I agree doesn't happen so much any more, he was turned not only into a video-game-shooter kid, but he was also rather a genius when it came to technical stuff. Now, the technical stuff worked as far as his wanting to use the Wonka-vision, but I kind of wanted to see this violent streak, which they alluded to a few times in the movie, used in his punishment in some form. Well, now that I think on it, it was a bit, with the way the Oompa Loompas smack him around while they're singing, but it didn't seem enough, really.

Tim's addition- now, anyone who knows about Tim Burton knows one of his themes is fathers. Which is fine. But did he have to add it to this movie? It had themes enough of it's own. I wanted to see the bubble room--though the way the Charlie acted in this one, he'd probably be too perfect to try it. And my husband said he missed seeing the office and the signing of the contract. The father stuff worked okay, but I would have rather seen the original story, and not a story that was chopped in half and changed into a Tim Burton story... They just didn't feel like they were part of the overall story to me. But since I knew the story beforehand, that might just be me.

Other bits- I loved that the grandparents (grandpa Jo and grandma Josephine and grandpa George and grandma Georgina) all had extremely distinct personalities that came out onscreen. And particularly enjoyed Liz Smith (who played Letitia Cropley in the Vicar of Dibley series) as grandma Georgina. I loved the Disney-esque entrance to the factory, which then proceeded to blow up and catch on fire.

I know this sounds like I hated it, but I really didn't. It was a lot of fun to watch, even if there were several wincable things. It's worth going, just be prepared, because it's definitely not the same.

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A wasted opportunity.

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 26 April 2008 08:50 (A review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

"Everything in this room is eatable, even I'm eatable! But that is called "cannibalism," my dear children, and is in fact frowned upon in most societies."

This new version of the classic children's fantasy book had everything going for it: Tim Burton was helming the project, Johnny Depp is in the lead role, special effects were updated and improved, a great cast and impressive production values. What could go wrong, right?

A lot, apparently.

Sure, visually the film is stunning, but did anyone take a moment to consider a better script? Burton has paid more attention on the production design and visual effects as opposed to the script, character development and doing justice to the source material.

For starters the film is unnecessarily lengthy and corny at times, with new things being added and classic things from the book being removed. They actually didn't include Charlie's sin with the fizzy drinks! That was what made the original so innovative and exciting, but above all made Charlie a lot more human. It was a great part and a great concept as well. Instead they add a scene of what happens to the children + parents after leaving the factory. This doesn't do anything for the plot and is completely unnecessary.

What's more - there are pointless flashbacks of Willy Wonka's early days that make the film even longer than it already should be. The flashbacks were nothing more than an excuse for Burton to bring Christopher Lee into the picture. These flashbacks also kill all the mystery surrounding Willy Wonka that made me love the original book and movie in the first place! The flashbacks slow down the pacing as well. On the subject of pacing, the film's ending was an unnecessary detour into clichéd territory. Work needed to be done in that aspect.

Anyway, the film is a retelling of the classic Roald Dahl children's tale. Willy Wonka (Depp), the mysterious chocolate maker, had closed his factory for 20 years but decides to reopen it temporarily for 5 lucky children who find a golden ticket inside a Wonka chocolate bar.

That's pretty much the spoiler-free synopsis. Johnny Depp is an amazing actor (and, for the sake of the Depp lovers who may be reading this, attractive) and his version of the character is adorable. I will admit that he seems a little out of place in relation to the timeline. (He doesn't look a day over 35, but yet the factory was closed for 20 years...was he a teenager when he opened it?!) Depp gives the film its moments of comedic genius. I loved the hilarious dialogue he delivers throughout the movie. His lines are continually quotable, albeit childish. He continues to remind us all why he is the greatest actor of all time.

Freddie Highmore just isn't a very good Charlie Bucket, unfortunately. His lines sounded horrendously contrived. He's cute, but can't act.

Danny Elfman's score is one of the film's redeeming features. His score is evocative and exciting. Maybe a little bit too pleonastic but still enough to trigger one's imagination.

Tim Burton is one of my favourite directors of all time. The production design was lavish and attractive, with special effects that look extraordinary. Is there anything else to expect from a Burton movie? The man is a visionary and when I heard he was helming this project I felt relieved as he was talking about "how faithful to the source material" it would be. So why did he lie?

I'm sorry, Tim, but you missed the mark completely here. Only watch this one for the impressive, updated special effects and Depp as a better Willy Wonka.

In a nutshell: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a wasted opportunity. From a technical standpoint the film is flawless. There are a few actors that look out of place; however the film boasts production design that is delightful to exhibit.

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory review

Posted : 1 year, 11 months ago on 10 January 2008 02:51 (A review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

Yet again Johnny Depp and Tim Burton created one of the best movies ever made, completely different from the original one. I still really liked the 1970s version, but this was just completely amazing to be, easily more enjoyable than the original. Johnny Depp couldn't have aced the role of Willy Wonka any better, the voice.. the look.. yes he may look a little 'different' than he normally does, but you just have to admire his extraordinary talent for making this film highly enjoyable.

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Burton does it again

Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 10 August 2007 02:15 (A review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

Many thought this movie should be filed under 'never should have been remade' because the original was such a classic. During filming, even the producers and Depp were nervous about how it would be received, because it was quite an expensive movie to make and remaking a classic is a very touchy subject. Imagine someone re-making NeverEnding Story, for example. And Gene Wilder, star of the original, was apparently quite hostile towards this film as well.

But I saw this film with a clear viewpoint; as shocking as it may be, I've never seen the original - only heard about it and knew its famous catchy oompa loompa tune. lol

And I must say, I absolutely love this Burton version of 'willy wonka and the chocolate factory'. The effects were amazing, weird, and very wacky, typical for anything that Burton touches, but I also loved the storyline and all the cast's performances were perfect. Depp especially was beyond perfect as the eccentric chocolate factory recluse, but even all the child actors were each so unique and so well played. My applause goes to the casting folks that managed to find all these young stars.

Now I can't write a review on this and not compare it to the original film, so I did watch the 'Willy Wonka' shortly after I saw 'Charlie' and even though it may cause big disagreements, here's my opinion on the two: I think Willy Wonka may have been good for its time, but it simply doesn't hold a chance versus it's much more superior Burton remake. I found Wilder's character too insane, angry, and at times just plain annoying, while Depp's character was pure eccentric and crazy, while still retaining a great feel of a 'kid that won't grow up'. And Freddie Highmore is beyond compare leaps and bounds better than his earlier equivalent child star. The kid from the original was way too whinny, i found. Also, the effects were much better (no surprise there - technology helps so much these days) but also the songs found throughout were funnier and a lot more entertaining. And this version also has a lot more subtle humor and comedy than the original; even though both are clearly 'family friendly' films, I think adults would find 'Charlie' version more watchable.

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