Review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) by Stevenf — 11 Aug 2013

There was never really anybody else who could have been up to the task of reinventing such an iconic and unique character as Willy Wonka, Tim Burton knows how to make every part of the screen count, whether it is a shadowed corner or the clothing of a bizarre character, in this case, he re-imagines not only a classic children's tale, but also a very successful film that many will still argue is better than Burton's vision, wither way one cannot argue at the scope and imagine of this very different tale.

The film is told in a dreamy sort of sense, with a mans gentle yet deep voice narrating, he explains the situation of how Wonka became a worldwide phenomenon, but faltered due to spies within his factory, but how he decides to send out five golden tickets to hold a very special tour for those lucky recipients. Charlie (Freddie Highmore) is not the most well-off of children, living with his four grandparents and his mother and father, and dreams of being one of the lucky ticket finders. Across the world, four tickets are find, and Charlie cannot believe his luck when he is the fifth and final finder, and so he begins his whirlwind journey of songs, greedy children and of course, chocolate.

The man in the top hat is played by none other than the most versatile actor of his generation, Johnny Depp, who creates one of the strangest and yet most awe-inspiring performances of his career, showing a genius we don't fully understand, a man with his own emotional grievances and family issues, a relatable man. His tour of the factory combines some beautiful scenes and even some funny sing-alongs from the Oompa-Loompas, this time played by one person in the form of Deep Roy. The film has big ideas and leaves plenty of room for some very interesting characters, and it is the child actors who are on top form in the film throughout, the confident Mike Teevee (Jordan Fry), the spoilt yet cunning Veruca Salt (Julia Winter) and the athletic and cheeky Violet Beauregarde (AnnaSophia Robb). These characters have a commanding and often funny presence on screen as they explore the many wonders of the factory, a place brimming with excitement and imaginative moments at every turn, its easy to get lost in the marvel of creation at play here, and its a true delight to see such effort going into giving the film a decent story.

Closer to the source and certainly different from the original, whatever personal thoughts may go into each film, there is no denying the wonderful scope and imagination of Burton and Depp's Wonka, a crackpot genius with a juvenile personality and a flamboyant dress sense, as only a larger than life character can have, the film is much darker and tone but is definitely more suited to the current generation and style of film, definitely a creative piece through and through.