Well done, but not badly needed.

Rating: 6/10 (19 July 2005)

I was impressed and quite entertained by this movie. Generally I don't think many remakes can compare to the original, but I think this one is still a good flick. It's funny, well acted (Johnny Depp is good but Gene Wilder will always be Willy Wonka), excellent costumes and production design, and the Oompa-Loompas are still a riot even if they aren't as memorable as their orange-and-green predecessors. However, my problem with the movie is that the original Willy Wonka was a great movie and didn't need to be remade. All of the filmmakers' time and money would have been better spent if they were creating something new and truly original.