Depp beats Wilder!

Rating: 10/10 (3 September 2005)

I must admit, I've never read Dahl's book. I only have Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder, to compare this movie against. I have to say, though, that this version is superb! Johnny Depp is an amazing character actor ... one could never imagine his Willy Wonka having anything whatsoever to do with Captain Jack Sparrow or Edward Scissorhands.
The story is wonderful, showing, as always, how the impossible can somehow be possible. While it's obvious who wins the contest, the actual tension over Charlie finding a golden ticket was credible. The back-story of Willy's relationship with his father, and his having to deal with Charlie's close-knit family, was an added treat.