Not your father's "Chocolate Factory"

Rating: 7/10 (21 July 2005)

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (2005) *** Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor, Missi Pyle, James Fox, Deep Roy, Christopher Lee, Annasophia Robb, Julia Winter, Jordan Fry, Philip Wiegratz, Adam Godley, Franziska Troegner. Filmmaker Tim Burton's dark comic twist to the children's classic novel and the cult film "Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory" and Depp's gleefully misanthropic channeling of Mr. Rogers, Carol Channing and Michael Jackson make a Dynamic Duo again for the most part with Depp as a mad-as-a-hatter Wonka inviting 5 guests to his globally famous chocolate factory and Highmore (his co-star from "Finding Neverland" and proving to be a real talented find) as the titular tyke attempting to compete against four other spoiled brats. The true star is the amazing production design concocted by Alex McDowell that overwhelms the visuals and Danny Elfman's hit-and-miss re-interpretations of Roald Dahl's novel's lyrics to the fate of the guests. What is misbegotten is the additions of a familial flashback by adapter John August in 'explaining' Wonka and the hyper extended exponentialism of the creepy little Roy as the Oompa Loompas.