Consistently weird, Consistently Good

Rating: 7/10 (21 July 2005)

Who doesn't get excited about Depp/Burton projects? If you don't, there's something wrong. From the beginning of their combined efforts until the next (Corpse Bride), there's always something in the air at theaters that makes you giggly, because even if parts of the movie are terrible, Burton's fantastic vision of scenery, and Depp's.. Depp-isms will save it somehow.
And that's exactly where we place the Chocolate Factory movie.
Much has been said (by Gene Wilder and reviewers) about the need for this movie, but in Hollywood's lack of ideas, well, it was probably going to get done again soon enough, and at least they have something working for them: the writer of the script had never seen the first film until after he went back to the original books and wrote this movie. That means ladies and gentlemen, that you're not getting a movie based upon a movie as so many people are trying to tell you, but you're getting something that goes back to the source material (kind of like the three War of the World films that came out this year), and a new view on everything. It's not knocking Wilder or the insane midgets that scared me as a child, it's creating a new vision.
On we go pretending that you haven't heard this before: The story revolves around a young Charlie Bucket and his escapade through a tour in the museum that has just been re-opened by Willy Wonka. And right from the start of the tour, every little episode that looks awry also is silly, and perfect. From the fire set by the puppets, to the trained squirrels, everything looks so elaborately pretty. It's eye catching, it's the kind of thing that brings the kid out in you. You want to walk through that screen and dive into the chocolate waterfall, or eat the grass, so they say.
And amid few problems, the acting is decent in that "light comedy" way. It's never too boring for the older crowd with it's sometimes silly jokes that kids won't necessarily understand (beatniks and cannibalism!), or even it's Three Stooges comedy that caters to everyone. And no, Johnny Depp does not remind me of Michael Jackson. His Wonka is far from it really, but just because he's extra pale, talks with a high voice and is hanging around with kids, well that's enough for everyone else.
The best thing this had going for it to me besides the continued on screen awkwardness of Depp's strange man Wonka, and a fantastic performance (again) by Freddie Highmore, is that contrary to the commercials, I was not completely annoyed by the film as television has me believe. There's lots more to it than you're getting. They've saved all the good parts for the film (what trailers don't normally do), and it's fun. I left with a smile on my face afterwards, like many other kids will, and isn't that really what matters?