Perfectly created, perfectly realised fairytale

Rating: 8/10 (13 August 2005)

I don't usually go big on kids movies. Animation, for instance, makes me grit my teeth. The Harry Potter movies left me exceptionally unimpressed. I went into Charlie and the Chocolate Factory half expecting to be bored after the first half an hour.
OK, it's got quite a bit going for it - Tim Burton is not exactly a beginner, although his films have been a bit uneven. Johnny Depp's forte has long been fantasy, and the combination has yielded some of Burton's directorial best (Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow). Finally though the team have come up with their most polished and flawless work yet. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory sweeps you away with a magic and poetry whilst keeping you on the edge of your seat for the next development. Roald Dahl's incredible, eccentric brand of children's' storytelling is a joy to experience, for young and old alike.