Pretty enjoyable in itself

Rating: 6/10 (10 June 2016)

I think the best thing to do with this film is to not compare it to the original, as I think people are very quick to do this and thus the remake gets slated a lot more than it deserves. Although there are parts of this film which grate me a little bit, it actually is a decent film in its own right.
It certainly remains truer to the novel than the 1971 film, though you have to remember that the special effects which existed in 2005 certainly did not exist in the early 1970s. A lot of people have an issue with the addition of Willy Wonka's backstory with his father as a dentist. I didn't like it much at first, but it's definitely grown on me. In fact, I find it quite touching.
The CGI effects and the features of the factory are magnificent, but sometimes it's a bit too overkill, even to the point where the human characters look computerised. Willy Wonka himself is portrayed by Johnny Depp as a highly eccentric, constantly bug-eyed and misanthropic creep, quite frankly - but it works pretty well for a story which undeniably has dark undertones.
My biggest problem with the film was the kids. I know they were supposed to be brats, but here they are simply detestable, especially the obnoxious Violet Beauregarde who at least was somewhat likable in the 1971 film. Paradoxically, Charlie (Freddie Highmore) is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Although Freddie plays Charlie very well, he's just too... saintly and good. The characters don't have much depth to them at all but then I suppose you make allowances as it is a children's story and film. The kids' acting also left a lot to be desired. Instead of having expressions of awe and wonder which is what you undeniably WOULD have, their faces remained expressionless throughout most of the film. I think another reviewer may have mentioned that gazing at a green screen for hours on end may have contributed to this, however.
Which leads me onto my next point: the Oompa Loompas. I love Deep Roy multiplied by 1000 and the scenes were pretty creative and entertaining. But the songs... Just no. ''Oompa-Loompa Doompadee Doo'' is a catchy classic. Here, they sound mechanical, unintelligible and just painful to listen to. There's also a scene where they do some weird boogieing when serenading Veruca Salt's demise. I actually felt my toes curl with embarrassment at that part.
Overall it's a decent film; it's not magnificent, but it's fun and entertaining.