A child's sweet nightmare.........

Rating: 6/10 (24 December 2005)

Like many others, I grew up with Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, and loved it dearly, and try as hard as you like but comparisons were always going to be inevitable. Meeting high expectations were always going to be a tall order, and in my opinion, this film has failed to meet them.
Little needs to be explained about this film, as the story is as familiar now to everyone as the 3 bears. Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka takes us on a very dark and even disturbing tour of this factory, with the 5 kids accompanied by a parent/grandparent in their tale.
In some ways this is a horror tale where the film is made for us to wish to see the kids get what they deserve, but this takes away from the light heartedness of the tale. The kids to me are more freakish than the original and don't seem to be given sufficient time, and Tim Burton's take seems to see his imprint want to overshadow that of Roald Dahl's.
I was a little disappointed by this movie, although i don't deny the setting was wonderful, and the interpretation original, but I can't see myself wanting to ever watch it again.... and in any case why didn't they keep that wonderfully frightening boat ride as in the first movie?