My childhood has come back.

Rating: 8/10 (18 February 2006)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is by far one of the best adaptations of a book I've ever seen. And who better to put together than Roald Dahl and Tim Burton? No one, really.
THough the 70's version, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," is regarded as a classic, it simply did not do the book any justice. My dad raised me on Roald Dahl (and Beatrix Potter), and those children's tales are timeless. The trouble is that most attempts a film versions of Dahl's work have been disappointing at best (Matilda would be a good example here). They simply don't capture the fun part of the magic that Dahl put in his books.
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" has corrected that history of error by being an outstanding work of genius. Tim Burton's inclusion of even the tiniest of details makes the movie shine, such as Dahl's original Oompah Loompah song lyrics (highly abridged, though still much better than that weird chant from the 70's version), and the inclusion of his "whipped cream" room (but can anyone explain the pink sheep part?). This one also captured the characters much better than the 70's version. Gene Wilder made Wonka out to be a hermit-like wizard who had no connection with children, and was as stiff and stern as a rail. Johnny Depp's portrayal of the character was much truer. Willy Wonka is supposed to be a little off his rocker, and Depp personifies that perfectly.
Yet for all this wonderful creation, Tim Burton has still managed to smudge the original story. Whether by his own devices or some obligation, the screenplay strays from the original book. It has mostly to do with Charlie helping Wanka re-awaken memories of his childhood, and his cold-hearted father (brilliantly played by Christopher Lee) that he has long suppressed. But it also made the same mistake as it's predecessor by extending the story. The books ends right as they crash through the roof of the factory, which sets up for the sequel, "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator," an entirely ridiculous book which has our heroes mercilessly suspended in orbit around the Earth for the majority of the story. Of course, I understand why it's more logical in a film sense to find a suitable, sequel-free ending, but part of me wishes that there would be a film about Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. The second foul-up on film's part is the actual physical appearance of Mr. Wonka. He is quite clearly described in the book as a strange little man with a goatee. Neither film version has Wonka as either short or bearded. This is easily overlooked, but still distracting if you think about it too much.
All in all, this movie is incredible, and it will remain a timeless classic for quite a long time.