Tim Burton back to a wonderful movie.

Rating: 9/10 (29 July 2005)

Director Tim Burton has made great movies for a long period of time. His best movies are Beatlejuice and Edward Scissorhands and his other movies came really close. Then Burton went along and made Planet of the Apes and Big Fish which are two movies I was really disappointed with. But i must say this time he delivers a good one.
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is a film worth watching for a number of reasons.
Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka was a lovable, trustworthy with kids kind of character. Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka is a creepy, mysterious character. Even his looks give you a hint of Michael Jackson. Johnny Depp's performance is perfect for the role of Wonka. A umm...who are you? kind of character in a kind of umm...where am I? kind of place.
The film gets more detailed with the Wonka character which is something that wasn't done in the original. I like the fact that we first see this strange and bizarre person as a mystery but as the film goes on his past opens up and we see the inside of the character.
The look of this film is incredible. Tim Burton was perfect as director. He fills the screen with fantastic sights. The film was shot in a great way (especially during the scenes with the oompa loompa songs) and the sets looked extraordinary.
The supporting roles were acted out pretty well. The one I enjoyed most was Freddy Highmore as Charlie Bucket. I thought he was great in "Finding Neverland" and I expected the same when I went to see this.
Can this film beat out Burton's classics? No. Can it beat out Planet of the Apes and Big Fish? Yes. Now that Burton is back on the good road let's hope he stays there.