Don't bother

Rating: 1/10 (13 November 2005)

While some may say this terrible film is more like the original book that the 1971 movie, but overall, it really isn't. My kids actually have the book and I read through it right after watching the DVD.
This film may be more true to the book with some of the finer details (the original lyrics to the Oompah Loopah songs, Charlie having a living father who worked at a toothpaste factory), none of these details add anything to the story.
On the other hand, the creepy, gray-skinned, androgynous Wonka is nothing like the original character in the book. He hates children (so why does he want to give the factory to one?). He can't even say the word "parents." He even hates old people. There is absolutely nothing funny, amusing, or likable about him (BTW, the dialogue in the movie is purely awful). By the time there's a feeble attempt to redeem Wonka's character at the end, it's too late. And where were the childhood flashbacks of Wonka in the book? So much for "more true to the book."
I saw the 1971 movie as a kid, and enjoyed it. But I watched it many years later as an adult, and LOVED it. There's so many great lines in it that I missed as a six-year-old. If you read a little about the history of the making of the movie (look online), you'll find that the script at one point was originally developed more for adults than children. It's no wonder, because much of the humor is more geared for adults.
Wilder plays the role of "Wonka" like it was made for him. Also, I believe the 1971 film story additions made for a much better story than the original book, and allowed you to see much further into the characters. Maybe I feel this way because I saw the movie before reading the book, but who can ever forget the scene near the end where Charlie shuns the opportunity for ill-gotten gains, even with his own Grandpa encouraging him to do the opposite. Wow. After seeing that, the book's ending seems kinda dull.