New Charlie is a treat!

Rating: 9/10 (16 July 2005)

As one who grew up with the original Wonka, I found Burton's rendition to be a treat! Most moviegoers know the fantastic quality of both Roald Dahl and Tim Burton and have a fairly good idea of what to expect, but I never expected to be delighted and entertained in a such a detailed way. Burton and his crew have examined every aspect of the film to make it visually captivating and patent-leather glossed.
Burton pays tribute to Stanley Kubrick's "2001" and the original Gene Wilder film in the TV chocolate scene. The usage of Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" did NOT go unnoticed in an excellent homage to the Kubrick film.
I was slightly disappointed by the absence of the Fizzy Lifting Drink scene! I wished Charlie would not be such a little angel - let's give him a chance to be a kid instead of a responsible adult trapped in an eight-year-old body.
Depp's performance as the creepy-eternal-child with a voice from MILWAUKEE was delightful. (I kept thinking Kitty Foreman from That 70's Show) He captured the egocentric, but righteous and just character perfectly. His green-gray face and perfect lip coloring did creep me out, but the purple rubber gloves were a perfect touch. What's with the giant goggles - I kept seeing Elton John somehow.
Thanks Tim and crew for a wonderful take on an old favorite!