It surprised me, being a fan of the original

Rating: 8/10 (18 September 2008)

I have been a fan of the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" for many years now. I have also taken great pleasure in reading the novel by Roald Dahl. After seeing previews for this film, I had doubts that a remake like this would work for me. I thought I would love the original too much to like anything about this film. Nevertheless, I was wrong about "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." I was uncertain about Johnny Depp playing Willy Wonka, not sure he had the right potential for this particular character. Depp actually played the role superbly, creating a character so over-the-top and zany that I'm sure Roald Dahl would have been pleased. Freddie Highmore plays Charlie very well also, coming across as the innocent, poor boy made manifest by the book as well as the original movie. AnnaSophia Robb also stands out to me as Violet Beauverguard. This version also restored some sections of the book not made into film in the original version, such as the story of how Willy Wonka found his Oompa-Loompas and building a chocolate castle for a rich prince. Also, this film adds a great new story that is both touching and fascinating, the story of Willy Wonka's dad (Christopher Lee), the dentist who drove him to rebel and create a chocolate factory. This is actually my favorite section of this movie. Not a perfect movie, as the original was for me. I miss many of the original songs such as "Pure Imagination" from that film. Nevertheless, this film did not try to copy that one but rather relied on the novel. If you're uncertain about this remake, take it from a fan of the original: this one is worth seeing.
*** out of ****