This is a poor remake or a great original film

Rating: 2/10 (10 August 2005)

While the story line in this version follows Dahl's story closer than the Willy Wonka movie, but it lacks the energy and characterization of the original film. Tim Burton's Wonka is a neurotic runaway child, not the creative and eccentric Wonka in Dahl's story. Burton apparently got wrapped up in the Wonka character, because no one else in this film has any life. The children are cardboard cutouts who either have no real energy or overact when they are not being wooden. Grandpa Joe's character suffers the same fate & Charlie's parents might as well not be in the film at all. Burton tried to make up for this with elaborate sets & all kinds of gadgets & special effects, but those cannot overcome wooden performances and lack of direction.
I said this version followed the original story more closely than the original. However the addition of the byplay being young Willy and his father (who is not in the book) is merely distracting and does not help the story at all.
I am sure Burton felt the rock 'n' roll Oompa Loompa's would be a hit, and I assume the lyrics they sing were in Dah;'s original sorry (I could not understand the lyrics since the music was so loud). But the pithy ditties created by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse in the original were much better and added much more to the story.
Bottom line: a flashy remake which does no justice to the original.