More often than not, remakes fail miserably in trying to live up to the original.

Rating: 9/10 (22 July 2005)

And this is one of those times that that just isn't true.
That said, it's truly difficult for me to compare this movie to the original; they hold two rather different moods. Johnny Depp's performance as the slightly eccentric Willy Wonka just seems different than Wilder's some 30 years ago. Where Wilder is the wise, witty man behind the factory who breaks out into song every now and then about imagination, Depp is flat-out weird. He almost seems a bizarre mix of Michael Jackson and Freddy Kreuger, yet he pulls it off perfectly. He's just not the kind of guy you want taking care of your kids, because he laughs and dances as they turn into behemoth blueberries, get sucked up giant pipes, and get dragged around by squirrels. And then he encourages you, the parent, to do the same! So why do we like this all-too-creepy man who just watches and waits as one by one, the children fall prey to some bizarre trap designed perfectly to ensnare the children based upon their oh-so-annoying faults? Honestly, I don't know. The viewer will find an aura about Depp as he acts, however, that, simply put, entrances the viewer into wanting to see more, to learn about his horrible, candiless past, and to learn of how he shamboozled the Oompa-Loompas into doing his nefarious bidding.
Or something.
And it doesn't hurt that the cast surrounding Willy Wonka is simply amazing. Each of the children, their parents, the Bucket family, and the Oompa-Loompas find themselves delivering top-notch performances. Honestly, I think the only character who might have been more fleshed-out would be Adam Godley, the man who plays Mr. Teavee. And yes, I know that perhaps he wasn't as fleshed out in the book. All I'm saying is that maybe it would've been nice if they had given him just one more joke or stunt. The family, especially Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina, are family-like, if that makes sense, while still being hilarious.
The musical numbers... honestly, they were a good change, though I will complain, as I so often do, in the fact that I really couldn't understand everything that was being said by the Oompa-Loompas. Still, they provided absolutely hilarious interludes between each child being taken away.
The factory, the main set of the movie, finds itself as being an environment that is a pure joy to view, with its colors, shapes, puppets, animals, and most importantly, candy everywhere one looks.
And all of this comes together to deliver a unique, enjoyable, and refreshing experience. Masterful.