A fun filled journey with enjoyable twists and turns.

Rating: 7/10 (27 July 2005)

When I first saw Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory some unknown years ago, I was convinced that no other movie would ever take me into the world of fantasy and magic the way that movie did. Of course, as I grew older and saw more movies, I would be convinced several times more, by movies such as The Princess Bride, The Lord of the Rings, and Big Fish just to name a few. Nevertheless, Willy Wonka always held a special place in my movie memories. That being said, I went into the theaters last week to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with great anticipation, if not trepidation.
I found myself pleasantly surprised as the ending credits rolled. Though I never read the book or any literature concerning this story, I understand that it was suppose to be more true to the book. Regardless, this movie explored many aspects of the characters, including Willy Wonka himself, in ways that the first movie never did. That said, many questions that I (as well as many others) had concerning the first movie was answered in Tim Burton's version. There are also several interesting twists toward the end of the movie, all leading up to a rather satisfying conclusion.
My few criticisms about this movie concern more about the acting than the story. First, despite a strong performance by Freddie Highmore (Charlie), he was never as convincing as Peter Ostrum (the original Charlie). Ostrum was able to portray himself as a genuinely good kid, but at the same time depict realistic childhood behaviors, such as when he stole some of the fizzy pop. I felt that Highmore's Charlie was a bit too forced at points in the movie. Gene Wilder's performance was also better in my opinion, maybe because he showed a bit more humanity and love for his work, his oompa loompas, and Charlie himself. I know this may be different than what the original author intended, and Depp may have played the role the way it was suppose to be played, but nonetheless, he came off alien and disconnected at various times in the movie.
Despite all that, this is a must see for everyone who was a fan of the original, and a must see for those with an imagination as big as their appetites for chocolate.