I am ridiculously impressed with this movie! Just got back from the theater, still amazed, but not speechless, so read on!

Rating: 9/10 (15 July 2005)

I have been anticipating the release of this movie since I first heard about it, over a year ago, both being a huge fan of Tim Burton, and the amazing Mr. Depp. I had counted down the months, weeks, days, and then hours till I got to see it, pumping myself up in the extreme, and I have NOT been disappointed!! Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is easily one of the best films I've ever seen.It was humorous, touching, and of course, as with many Burton films, very strange at parts.
The Oompa-loompas were all played by one man, the same who played Mr. Soggybottom in Big Fish. These Loompas have the singing roles after each child's disappearance, just like in the 70's version, but this time they use the lyrics that were in the book. Danny Elfman provides all the voice talent, and is amazing as usual.
The kids are also excellent portrayals of the children described in the book. Each child nailed his or her part perfectly. Of course, Freddie Highmore as Charlie is particularly delightful, since he's so adorable and charming. I especially liked Violet Beauregarde's portrayal, it seemed so dead on as what I envisioned in the book when I read it when I was younger.
Another amazing aspect of this movie was the humour. 50%of the time, I was in stitches from laughing so hard. This is by far the funniest Tim Burton film EVER. This version of "Charlie..." is 100 times funnier than the 70's version. And almost all the humour is family-friendly.
The visuals were stunning, it's a real treat for the eyes. So much colour! Everything was really surreal looking, it was beautiful. I loved the camera angles. Also, the Bucket's house is pretty interesting, still can't figure how it was standing.
And I can't finish this comment without commending the AMAZING performance by Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. He played such an eccentric, immature, and sometimes distant version of the chocolatier, quite different from that of Gene Wilder's Wonka in the original. I think it was a really great thing that he didn't try to play the character the same way, because Wilder's portrayal would have been VERY hard to match.
Anyway, yes, I must stop rambling, just SEE THE MOVIE!! You will NOT regret it!!