Anybody Hungry?

Rating: 8/10 (29 August 2005)

To anyone who may remember the original "Chocolate Factory" may want to throw everything they know about the original out the window. The new version is indeed different as night and day.
In this new version, Charlie (Freddie Highmore) who portrays a much more poorer version of what Charlie should have been, is living with his small but humble family, when everyone hears of the 5 Golden Tickets, the whole world goes on a search for those delectable Wonka Candy Bars and soon, the five kids are found. This is resolved in about 25 minutes compared to the original that had taken almost 45 minutes.
From then on, from the first word to the credits is nothing but a laugh fest filled with visual gags and humorous anecdotes that you may miss at first.
The main difference with the two films, if you were to watch them from the big screen to your TV, is a big difference that most may have seen coming, I didn't, and I'm an avid movie goer.
Johnny Depp, of course from all the trailers, plays the Wonky Willy Wonka. Some people consider that Depp is what made the movie funny or good, they're only half right. Depp provides frequent laughs throughout the film, but to pin the heart and soul of the film onto Depp is what would be Politically Incorrect, Charlie provides the heart and soul that the original Charlie didn't have all too much.
With this Charlie, he's so human and how he acts is what makes you love the kid to death, I felt that with his situations in life, it almost brings a tear to an eye. With this version, it's darker, gloomy, funny, and occasionally sad, particular in the beginning and end. if you going to see the film just for Johnny Depp, you'll be only half full, but if you going to see a film that's got a perfect ending, a very "How Charlie should have acted" sort of kid, and by far, one film guaranteed to have your sweet tooth wishing for the entire snack bar in the theater, this one has to be the one.