Hilarious, heartwarming yet poignant

Rating: 10/10 (13 August 2005)

I have to say this film far surpasses the hideous original, as it gives far more depth to the characters -Willy Wonka in particular- and stays loyal to the actual book. The first film included some completely unnecessary additions like the Gobstopper test and the fizzy lifting drinks. This is a refreshing version which somehow treads the line between dark and light hearted.
The 5 kids are played magnificently; Freddie Highmore's Charlie makes you root for him from the beginning, while the other four are easy to hate as they are incredibly obnoxious. The girl who plays Violet Beauregarde was the best child actor there, while I felt Mike Teavee was overacted. The strange thing is that I think this is closer to Dahl's vision than the original, but Dahl himself actually wrote the screenplay for the first one, which he supposedly hated.
Johnny Depp proves yet again he is a genius at acting by his astounding portrayal of Willy Wonka. Roald Dahl intended him to be a man who never grew up and remains child-like and almost naive, and Depp nails it here. Socially inept, with a loathing of families yet witty and essentially good hearted, the Willy in this film is a complex, dark and lovable character, unlike the wise paternal figure Gene Wilder brought to the role. Flashbacks provide us with a fascinating insight into why Willy became a reclusive sweet maker, because of a troubled relationship with his father. His interaction with the children is hilarious, as he makes it very plain he detests the little brats, yet remains almost courteous with them. He is a very flawed man though, but Charlie helps him redeem himself by reuniting with his dad and becoming part of the Bucket family in a way. I found this film to be poignant at times: the newspaper clippings of his son that Wilbur Wonka has kept, the scene where Charlie turns down the factory because his family mean more to him to name but two moments.
The scenery is breathtaking and brings the factory to life. Although the sight of the Oompa Loompas with Deep Roy's head stuck on all of them was a bit disturbing, the songs are fantastic and the musical score adds a lot to the movie.
This film and Johnny Depp both richly deserve to be given Oscar nominations. many films are capable of touching your heart but this is definitely one of them.