MINOR Spoiler - more a reassurance for book lovers

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2005)

In 1970, I was given a copy of Roald Dahl's book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". It was instantly my favorite book, only supplanted by "The Hobbit" in 1972.
I am a great re-reader of books. The Hobbit for instance holds the record  40 times. Other favorites such as Orwell's "1984" have been read 10+ times.
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was a book that I read and reread at least a dozen times in two years. I was enthralled, not only because of the story, but the writing itself. Mr. Dahl doesn't treat his readers like 'children'. The story could be downright grim in sections, but always  ALWAYS rung true.
Thus, when my mother told me they were making a movie, I was excited. I was out of my mind the week before opening.
Then I saw it.
On the way out my mom asked me, "What's the matter? Didn't you like it?".
"It was okay, I guess, but it WASN'T the book!" I replied  completely, irrevocably disappointed at what unfortunately proved thru the years to be a Hollywood pattern  butchering books.
The movie was the story at a shallow level, but bastardized and worse still dumbed down, with all the edginess sugarcoated away.
Gene Wilder is NOT Willy Wonka. Great performance, but NOT the Willy Wonka of the book.
And so thru the decades I ignored the movie. Yes, I have watched it a few times since, but always seeing what SHOULD have been and always disappointed in the end.
I was very excited when I heard that Tim Burton was directing  "PERFECT DIRECTOR for the material" I though to myself.
I was horrified by the asinine rumors that Marylin Manson would be cast as Wonka. Luckily they proved to be just that "asinine rumors".
Johnny Depp  there's an actor I trust!
Then came the controversy  the so-called purists railing against remaking a classic!!! I considered- no, HOPED  it was Hollywood making it up to us book fans  the REAL Charlie fans after all these years.
Assurances from Burtin that he would be faithful to the book  gave me hope.
And so with quite a bit of anxiety, Lil Hob, Mrs. Hob and I ventured to the cinema this weekend.
And.in the immortal words of Grandpa Joe
"YIPPPEEEEEEEEEE"
They did it!!! They REALLY did it!!! They made my book into a movie and kept the spirit of the book alive!!!!!
Depp's Wonka is not perfect  I doubt anyone could be  but I will say that he is far FAR truer to the character than I could have hoped and certainly superior to Wilder's "Wonka-be" version.
This time they created the OompaLoompas RIGHT!!!
This time Burton created a cinematic version of the book that made me tear up with joy  the little boy inside elated that someone in Hollywood understood the material  at last!!!
Okay  they DID add some stuff to it  specifically, the Wonka backstory. But it was in the SPIRIT of the story and I think Dahl might have approved were he alive to see it. (I hear he also HATED the original butchering).
The book  the whole book  INCLUDING the Oompa Loompa songs are here.
This one is spoiler free, because those who love the book know what I am talking about. And those who don't  well you probably only know the original sin and may even love it. If so  forget about seeing this  because this version is the REAL version and is vastly different from the 1972 atrocity.
Instead of seeing this version, read the book FIRST, then see it.
I am so happy that Lil Hob is oblivious that there is any other version than this one.
Mrs' Hob never read the book and while she liked this  she couldn't get over the fact that it was GRIM in places and not as insipidly "sweet" as the first.
ONE SPOILER 
Tim Burton made a CHOCOLATE RIVER THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE A CHOCOLATE RIVER!!! Unlike that diarrhea-like abomination in the '72 film.