Better than the first movie or the book

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2005)

The first movie was very different from the book, but it was still delightful because of Gene Wilder's lovable eccentricity. The songs in the first movie were wonderful, especially the two that Gene Wilder sang himself. It was a good movie, so why the remake?
Tim Burton has outdone himself. This "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is not only his best work; it is better than the first movie. It's even better than the book. Every change it made from the book was an improvement, and there are several changes, including but not limited to: Shortening of the oompah-loompah songs so they give the same meaning without being so boring, the addition of many witty and comedic comments by Willy Wonka, much more dialog from the bedridden grandparents, and a completely different ending to the story. I won't spoil the new ending, but I'll tell you that I liked it very much, it made me cry, and I feel much better about things in general.
I was always bothered by the first movie because Charlie and his grandpa had stolen the fizzy-lifting drinks and Grandpa Joe wanted to sell the everlasting gob-stopper to Slugworth. In this new version, Charlie Bucket is a true hero, the kind of kid any parent would want his kids to be. If you have children, you need to take them to this movie. The book is also great, but if you read the book to your kids first, they will be both surprised by and delighted with the movie.