Tim Burton's brilliant, but Johnny Depp betrays

Rating: 5/10 (16 July 2005)

Tim Burton's take on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is brilliant, and a betrayal, all at the same time. I read the book at least 20 times when I was a kid -- loved it. Tim Burton brought this story to life in a way I never imagined -- or rather -- exactly as I imagined in my head so many times as a kid. While I love the 1971 version for what it was, I was extremely disappointed in the perversion of the characters of Charlie and Grandpa Joe, who would never have thought of doing naughty things in Willy Wonka's factory. That's all fixed in this version, and the visualization here is fantastic. It's dead-on. So dead-on, and so perfect -- except for one very important thing, which is very very very wrong, and so wrong it's almost criminal. And that is Johnny Depp's portrayal of Willy Wonka.
Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. The person portrayed here was not even close to channeling the spirit of Wonka. The character is certainly more eccentric and even dark than Gene Wilder's 1971 version. But Willy Wonka is not fey. He is not a creepy Michael Jackson wannabe. He's not a shut-in. And he doesn't need a back story. I'm so utterly disappointed, and it makes me sad, because I want to love this movie. True fans of the book (not the 1971 movie) will know what I'm talking about.
I'm not saying movies have to be carbon copies of the literature they portray. The Lord of the Rings trilogy's deviations from the text are great examples of how extrapolation can be wonderful, and Chris Columbus' original takes on Harry Potter show how strict adherence to a book can actually dampen a movie. However, in this case, it is essential Willy Wonka be portrayed in a much more respectful way than Depp's cheap knock-off of Michael Jackson and Carol Channing.
And I'm a huge Depp and Burton fan.
Sigh. Ten stars for everything but Johnny Depp. Zero stars for Johnny.