No Heart

Rating: 2/10 (20 November 2005)

I went into this movie wanting to like it, but after about 30 minutes I could see it was another Tim Burton-fest devoid of heart. The sets looked like Batman/Beetle Juice makeovers and overall the movie was FLAT FLAT FLAT. Burton is all about the visual and minor things like acting and story are secondary, to say nothing about his lack of understatement, which would more intimately involve the viewer.
Mostly, there's no >sweetness< in any of his recent movies.
I think there once might have been, but it's been lost somehow. The teaming with Depp and Elfman just isn't working for me anymore. Gene Wilder runs rings around Depp with his slightly-crazed/funny and yet touching portrayal of Willy Wonka. I don't really know why I'm writing this, but Burton has missed the point again.