Excellent

Rating: 8/10 (10 August 2005)

I went into the theaters wondering if I would enjoy this movie or it would leave a lot to "Pure Imagination" Tim Burton definitely took a gamble here. He took a great original and decided to mess with it. That's a pretty big risk, but overall I think it paid off. Johnny Depp's amazing ability to play any character in almost any role is truly amazing, and he shows off his skill very will in this film. You will see many references to the original in this film. The main, and most noticeable difference, was Wonka's sarcasm. I found myself laughing at many things that no one else in the theater did, and it was packed out. Perhaps the locals don't appreciate good sarcasm, or maybe I'm just heartless? Either way, I got quite a few good chuckles.
This film also differs from the original considering there are only four songs performed during the movie, compared to the original version, which had nine musical performances. A good comparison to this movie would be the "Shrek" series, because it's acceptable for younger children to watch, (and believe me there were plenty there) and it also has plenty of adult humor. By saying adult humor I'm not referring to sexual innuendos or vulgar comments, mostly only sarcastic humor. Wonka's indifference to the children is absolutely hilarious. I do have to say this though, I felt that Wonka and Charlie had a better connection and relationship in this one compared to the original. Near the end of the movie you can see that they begin to bond a great deal, a lot more than the original.
For those that are entering this film expecting a remake of the original, prepare to be astonished. This film is quite original, although as I mentioned there are about half a dozen references to the original. Burton really did a great job of not ruining the classic, while still keeping an "original" movie feel.