Review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) by Will G — 06 Apr 2013

I know I'm in the minority here, but I wasn't jumping up and down about this movie. I loved the original film with Gene Wilder for its own original contributions...perhaps I'm biased. Still, I have always admired Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's work, and had been looking forward to this new interpretation of Roald Dahl's book.

This film was, indeed, more true to the book than the 1971 version...the squirrel room, the jungle scene, the children leaving the factory, perhaps a little "wiser for the wear." However, the character development of the 1971 version was MUCH better than here...you were actually given an opportunity to like or dislike each character, including Willy Wonka. I did think that Johnny Depp's portrayal of Wonka was more true to the book than Gene Wilder's...Willy Wonka is supposed to be quite childish and eccentric. However, I thought that this film's preoccupation with being true to the book caused it to overlook what is more important, which is to establish the intentions of each character.

It's true that the Oompa Loompas are physically portrayed accurately here more so than in the 1971 version. However, though the songs they sing here are true to the book, they are less charismatic than those of the 1971 film and sometimes seem over the top.

Finally, I was appalled with the ending. It changed the whole idea behind the story itself, which is supposed to be that people can overcome their hardships to have a happy and prosperous ending, as long as they're honest, selfless, and generous. This movie changes the whole theme of the story to one that emphasizes the importance of family over any kind of material wealth or prosperity. Both are perfectly good and legitimate themes, but my reading of the book left me with an impression that Roald Dahl was more concerned with the former theme than the latter.