Mixed feelings about this one, but overall, wonderfully strange.

Rating: 7/10 (19 July 2005)

I was absolutely, unbelievably excited when my friend told me that Charlie and the Chocolate factory was in the making. Then when I saw the preview and realized Tim Burton was directing and Jonny Depp was WIlly Wonka, I could barely contain my excitement. I raced to the movie the first day it began at our theater and was somewhat disappointed, but also pleasantly stunned. Here are the goods and bads:
I loved Depp's portrayal of Willy Wonka, he was charming and charismatic although just like Jim Carrey in The Series of Unfortunate Events, I thought he was a bit too goofy for Wonka.
The set was absolutely amazing, beautiful, and real. I wanted to jump right into the movie at those moments.
The oompa loompa's were very disappointing to me, the did not look as cute and silly as in the 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory. I also was not pleased by the songs they sang, they sounded cheesy and seemed like they should have been a joke of the movie on Satuday Night live or something. In the original, the songs was so fun and I still remember the tune after this long.
I liked the beginning and the end the most, it was during the middle that I was a little bit disappointed.
Overall though, I as pleased and tickled by the movie, there were just a few things I would have liked cut out.
Nice Job Depp and Burton!