Neither Better Nor Worse Than The Original

Rating: 6/10 (2 January 2006)

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (3 outta 5 stars) A decent enough version of the classic children's story which was the basis for the beloved musical "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." I didn't find this movie any better or worse than the original version... just different. Johnny Depp's bizarre performance as Willy Wonka is definitely the best thing about this movie... just as Gene Wilder was the best thing about the original "Wonka". I was a bit puzzled as to why they decided not to use the original songs from the first movie... but then they went ahead and created new songs for the Oompa-Loompas anyway... I guess it was cheaper to make up new songs than to pay the original composer for the rights to re-record them. I like the character of Charlie more in this new version that the annoying little goody-goody in the first movie... but I think I prefer Jack Albertson as the original grandpa. The storyline basically is the same as the earlier flick... except for the conclusion (I'm not sure which ending is closer to what was written in Roald Dahl's novel... I guess I'll have to read it one day). I was a bit dismayed by the fact that the greedy, nasty kids in this movie don't seem to learn a lesson from their harrowing experiences in the chocolate factory... they seem just as selfish and ill-mannered when they leave as when they arrived... you'd think a near-death experience would shake them up a bit more...