Thank you, Mr. Burton

Rating: 8/10 (18 July 2005)

_Charlie_ has always been one of my favorite kid's books, so walking into another movie version was a bit worrying. The original WW+CF movie with Gene Wilder was more of an "inspired by" version than a true rendition of the story. It sat alongside _Grinch_ as well-intentioned but not particularly well realized movie versions of kids books.
Charlie is true to its source, true to the heart and soul of the book, true to the ideas and fun in the story and manages above all else to be entertaining and interesting. Visually the movie is stunning. From the stark, almost black and white city and exterior of the factory to the technicolor interior of Mr. Wonka's world. The oompa-loompas were great, even more so because Burton had to compete with the original movie version that everyone remembers. Deppp as Wonka played perfectly: eccentric and spirited, fun and even a bit manipulative. His joy at his odd universe of creations is palpable. The humor, and there was a lot of it, varied from subtle to slapstick, rarely missing the mark. The special effects were restrained and effective rather than being overblown.
I had a few quibbles with the extended cast. While Charlie, his family and the crew of the factory were wonderful, the remaining children were a bit thin and felt like fodder for a slasher movie. Exceptions included Violet and her mother. My final gripe was that I couldn't understand the words to the songs, even though I enjoyed them.
In all, the movie was just a bit overlong. I thought the early pre-factory section could have been abbreviated. The movie really picks up once the tour starts and minus a few lagging parts, never slows down. I enjoyed it, the kids enjoyed it and we left the theater feeling we'd gotten more than our money's worth.