Not Burton's best, but still very tasty. SPOILERS HEREIN.

Rating: 4/10 (29 July 2005)

There are spoilers in this review.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it seems, is virtually impossible to judge without comparing it to the 1971 Willy Wonka film, regardless of the insisting of Tim Burton's loyal fanbase that it is not a remake, it's an adaptation of the Roald Dahl story. According to Burton's promises prior to the film's release, it was to be a darker film, truer to Dahl's book than the Gene Wilder movie, which he described as "not one of his favorites." The plot, for those two or three of you who have not read the book or seen Willy Wonka deals with a mysterious chocolate tycoon who places five golden tickets in bars of his chocolate, the finders of which are invited to take a tour of his wonderful factory. One of the finders is Charlie Bucket, a poor boy who only has chocolate once a year for his birthday, and the other finders are a collection of spoiled li'l turds from all around the world. However, as it happens, (and I'm gonna give away the ending here because it's as ingrained into our cultural vocabulary as the fact that Darth Vader is Luke's poppa) Wonka is actually looking for an heir to his factory, which he finds in Charlie, after all the other kids are eliminated from the tour as a result of failed conscience test-related accidents.
To be honest, Mr. Burton's assessment of his film as truer to Dahl's source material than the '71 film is, in my opinion, not entirely accurate. Yes, there are trained squirrels sorting out walnuts in this version rather than geese laying golden eggs. True, the Oompa Loompas in this film are pygmy natives (all wonderfully played by the same quirky, Indian little-person actor Deep Roy) rather than the freaky orange-painted munchkins of the original film. But other than that, this is Burton's movie. From the freakish set design to the characterization of Wonka as nervous, gleeful but emotionally stunted from years of isolation, Burton has stroked, twisted, sweetened and pummeled Dahl's story and made it his own. After films like the deeply flawed Sleepy Hollow and the putrid Planet of the Apes, this will no doubt sound bad to a great many viewers, but in truth, Burton actually quite well with this material.
The visuals are clearly what Burton has the most fun with. Wonka's factory is a cross between Disneyland and Halloweentown with elements of Mario Bava and Dr. Seuss. The Oompa Loompa songs look like the freakiest of Bollywood musicals, and Danny Elfman's interpretations of Roald Dahl's lyrics (all sung by the composer, overdubbed hundreds of times) sound more like his old Oingo Boingo songs than anything he's composed since. The Mike Teevee song segment goes as far as to lampoon everything from 2001: A Space Odyssey to heavy metal videos, cooking shows, Rock-'Em-Sock-'Em Robots, and Psycho. Charlie's hometown is enveloped in softly-falling snow, another Burton trademark, and the kind of gadgetry seen inside the chocolate factory would make Pee-Wee Herman and Vincent Price green with envy. Almost all of the actors are perfectly casted. Young Freddie Highmore (reportedly recommended to Burton by Depp because of his performance in Finding Neverland) is wonderful as Charlie; he's possibly the finest child actor working today. David Kelly (also terrific in Waking Ned Divine) is wonderfully charming as Grandpa Joe. Noah Taylor and Elizabeth Bonham Carter are very empathetic, despite their somewhat brief screen time, as Charlie's parents. Almost everyone in the cast outshines their 1971 counterparts, except for Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregard and their parents, who are hilarious in the original film and aren't given very much to do in this film. Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder play very different but equally brilliant Wonkas.
The film also features a series of flashbacks to Willy Wonka's childhood, which was never discussed in the book. These scenes feel somewhat out of place with the rest of the story, but they are still a joy to watch, particularly because Christopher Lee, who may well be the single coolest living human being, plays Willy's dentist father. "Lollipops," he snarls, he voice dripping with contempt as he shifts through his young son's Halloween candy. "These are what we call 'cavities on a stick'." He proceeds to throw the confectionery treats onto the fire. After sneaking candies whenever he can and taking notes of his observations, young Willy runs away from home to become a chocolateir. This, as we find out, is the reason for his reclusive, eccentric and child-like behavior.
As to which version of the story is 'better,' the '71 film (which Roald Dahl reportedly hated) has moments in it that are superior to most of what happens in Burton's film; chiefly the hysteria of the world looking for the golden tickets ("I am now telling the computer exactly what it can do with a lifetime's supply of chocolate!"), the exchanges between Veruca Salt and her hapless father, and Wonka's insane, snake and chopped-off chicken head-filled riverboat ride. However, the mix of unexplained darkness, do-goodery, and illogic make for a much more confused film than Tim Burton's interpretation; a version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that operates on its own rules, but clearly understands them. If it does anything for the original book, it proves that no film taken from a literary source is in fact the 'definitive' interpretation; it is merely how one artist sees things. For that, I think that Mr. Dahl would likely be pleased.