Well done performances all around.

Rating: 8/10 (31 October 2005)

Burton's Charlie definitely strays from the book and the original 70s Willy Wonka, but the casting and superb effort all around add to the intrigue of the movie. This version is much more modern, more hip and more sympathetic to the characters overall. The fates of the children are revealed here as opposed to the original where you could only imagine the worst. Depp's performance as Willy Wonka moves away from Gene Wilder's Mad Hatter persona and we get to see more of the chocolate maker and why he is who he is.
Willy Wonka, world renowned chocolate manufacturer, holds a contest allowing five children to enter his secret factory, with his intentions being his own business.
The original Willy Wonka is a light-hearted musical. While this Charlie has songs, it's kind of hard to beat Sammy Davis Jr.'s Candy Man or the original Oompa Loompa songs. I refuse to discredit this version too much. In this Charlie, the children's punishments are more just and Willy Wonka is given a full origin. Charlie's father's alive in this one so the family's situation isn't as dire. The fate of the Buckets are revealed here where it was anyone's guess what happens after in the first Willy. I'm confident everyone will enjoy this movie and fans of the original will be just as satisfied. In these eyes, it was an all star cast that put on a good show.