A Polite "7" Stranger than the First Version! Don't Like it!

Rating: 7/10 (6 August 2016)

O.K. "Willie Wonka" had it's faults. The first part of it is boring as heck as the Golden Tickets are s-l-o-w-l-y found, including the bogus ones. Why a chicken gets it's head chopped off in the river tunnel ride is still a creepy mystery, but the songs are better, and the special effects are o.k. considering how old that movie is! Having not yet read the original, I suspect the new version is a bit closer to the Ronald Dahl tale. Orange or East-Indian faces, the Ommpa-Lompas steal the show, but the sound mix makes it hard to understand their new lyrics. Squirrels, nuts, geese and golden eggs? Same garbage chute! A bit more magical (and cruel) ending for the 4 obnoxious brats! A father-dentist for a candy-maker is very clever and that's the only thing I like about the remake. It doesn't matter where the Bucket Family lives. It's a fable about searching for true happiness and purpose! Johnny Depp plays his part well as the spirit of Michael Jackson, but like most remakes, It's merely different. It does not surpass the original movie, which didn't need to be remade!