This was the biggest surprise and enjoyable ride of a film I have ever seen.

Rating: 10/10 (8 January 2006)

When I watched the previews of this film I was full of so much doubt. I thought the scenes would be freaky, even freakier than some of the scenes in the original (A GIANT LOBSTER! SWEET FANCY MOSES!), and I thought that Johnny Depp would not do well at all as the famous chocolatier. I remember hearing myself say "I am going to stay away from that movie as much as possible. TIm Burton made it so it has a good chance of making me wet my bed at night" well, I actually said the first half, but until this movie I believed the second half. This movie was soooooooooooo much fun. It has the perfect blend of humor, aesthetic images, and bizzareness. There was a thrill in seeing something new, exciting, peculiar, humorous....I felt like I was on an amusement park ride. I didn't want it to end. I also felt like eating candy until my navel blew out like a party favor.
Johnny Depp is hilarious, and even though he as Willy Wonka was strange, he prevents the movie from exploding into particles of confusion, and creates a peculiar sense of sanity with his sarcastic comments. TIm Burton kept the movie true to the book, and made it a visual masterpiece. the special effects were absolutely incredible. It definitely contends with Narnia, Kong, and Episode III in the effects race. The Willy Wonka factory is much more believable as a pioneer in candy innovations in this film than in the original (punching gloves to pound flour? I mean, come on.) One of best parts was the oompa loompas, their songs, the fact that they weren't orange with green hair, and the fact that they were all played by one actor. Even the voices in the songs were voiced by only Danny Elfman, who is also the score writer. The songs were catchy, fun, rockin, funky, and hip. Whoa, I feel old, I just said a song was hip. anyone have any prune juice?
Overall this movie was absolutely amazing. I will never judge a film based on on what creepy things its director has done in the past. I love and recommend this movie. Those who haven't are missing a fun, SWEET time. yes pun intended.