A Poor Boy Wins An Opportunity, A Strange Man's Imagination Takes Candy As Its Form, An Artist Sits In The Director's Chair, This Film Cannot Go Wrong...And It Didn't

Rating: 10/10 (28 July 2005)

After I heard the news that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp were working together again on a film called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I knew that this film could not fail audiences; particularly myself.
I'm sure most of you know the story of the film from its musical originator, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from 1971; so I won't bother giving you an idea of this story's plot. I very much enjoyed the story of the film, where director Tim Burton added a few things to make it more fun to watch; which I won't say.
I have an opinion on both leading roles of the film. Like everyone says, the film was very quirky and Johnny Depp's interpretation of the fabulous chocolatier Willy Wonka was thought by many to be creepy. In my opinion, Depp's vision as Wonka was far more original than I'd thought it would be. The new Wonka was more eccentric, childlike, emotional, and above all more quirky.
The second leading actor, Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket, impressed me a little more on a different level. Highmore's portrayal of the title character was also far more original that I had expected. His character had very much of a heart of gold and Highmore was talented enough to make all of Charlie's feelings and intentions genuine. I am impressed by these acting skills from a boy his age.
As for director Tim Burton, I was just as impressed with his performance on the film's production than I was with Depp's. I've always thought that Burton's visions of his past films were very creative and inspiring. So it was no surprise that I'd count this as his best film up to date. I think that Burton visualized exactly what author Roald Dahl was thinking of when he wrote the children's novel. Heck, he might've been the only man on Earth able to do it! The chocolate factory was filled with adventure in every corner, the Oompa-Loompas were very animated, and everything was just incredible. Danny Elfman's musical score of this film was very powerful and the "heaviest notes" were very inspiring.
I am grateful that I got the chance to watch this at IMAX theaters. I most definitely recommend this mind-blowing and heart-warming film for the entire family. I certainly hope this review is helpful to you all.
Regards,
J.C. Urbina