Sweet and Sour

Rating: 4/10 (14 August 2006)

It has always been a mystery to me as to why movie makers continuously seek to RE-make classic films. The original if done well, earned it's special niche, fulsome praise and the loyalty of it's viewers. In addition, it also established itself as the standard by which all others will to be compared with. Try as they may, few remakes even come close to the original, others fall well short of the mark. Thus is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johhny Depp. There is much a magical talent like Depp can add to a film. In this movie however, he does not add, but subtracts. His humor is far too subtle and overly serious for the part. The original with Gene Wilder is more exciting, colorful and enjoyable. This version begins and ends with a dark parody of the original. The film lacks heart and direction and too often the viewer seeks familiar ground only to find it wanting. In conclusion, this version is a sad reflection of the original and not to be taken as anything but a crude copy of it's intended. A great waste of both time and talent. *