One Of Tim Burton's Best Films!!!!!

Rating: 10/10 (25 July 2005)

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory will be labeled and looked at as (what most movie fans fear) a remake. However it's not. It's not even close to the original which starred Gene Wilder and is one of my top 100 favorite films of all time. Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory was so far off form the book which was written by Rohl Dahl that Dahl (Who was rumored to detest the original) refused to sign off for a sequel. If Dahl was alive today he would have been very happy with Burton's version. It is practically word for word, scene for scene just like the book of the same name. The plot is simple. Willy Wonka is a candy god. The world worships him. Then for reasons which I will not explain because that would spoil the movie for you he closes his candy factory forever. Then out of the clear blue he decides that he is not only going to open the doors again but he is going to allow five lucky children to tour his factory, something that has never been allowed before. He runs this contest by putting five golden tickets in his Wonka Bars. The five lucky kids are Augustis Gloop a heavy kid from Germany who lives, breathes, and sleeps for chocolate. Tehn we have Violet Borogard. A little girl from Atlanta Georgia who's motto is winning is everything. She hates finishing any place but the top. Then we have Veruca Salt. A spoiled little rich girl from Birmingham, England. She has a father who's opinion on the world is money can buy everything. There's also Mike Tevee who's life revolves video games. He's a snot nosed punk who will stop at nothing to insult, cut down, or humiliate anyone in his path. Then finally we have Charlie Bucket. A bright little boy who has the heart of gold. He lives in a shack with his parents and his four grandparents. They barely have any money to put food on the table. Charlie is extremely tight with his Grandpa Joe. Who fascinates Charlie with his stories of Willy Wonka. Charlie is the one child who wants this prize more than anybody and deserves it because unlike all the other spoiled brats in the film Charlie is a working class blue collar kid who you just can't help but feel bad for. After the tickets are found the children meet the man who is their hero. Willy Wonka himself played by Tin Burton alumni Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, and the upcoming animated Burton film The Corpse Bride)who holds his own as Mr. Wonka. Milly is nothing what these kids think he's going to be. He's rude, brash, and a complete wise ass. In one scene when Violet throws her arms around him and says "I'm Violet Borogard" Wonka looks down at her with an uncomfortable expression and replies "I don't care". The chocolate factory is a child's imagination come to life and no one has an eye for eye candy the way Tim Burton does. If you've never seen a Burton film then check out Beetle Juice, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, or The Nightmare Before Christmas and you'll see what I mean. This movie has restored my faith in Burton when "remaking" a classic (although as i said before this film is not a remake) but I'm a Burton junkie and have loved all his movies, yes even Planet of the Apes (yes I'm the one). After the debacle that was Planet Of The Apes (2000) it looked like Burton's career was over. The movie was a bomb and loathed by most fans that saw it basically giving a lot of heat about the ending (although P.O.T.A. has a better ending than the recent War Of The Worlds remake I've been told)but Burton bounced back with the masterpiece Big Fish. He hasn't dropped the ball since. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory is one of Tim Burton's best films and has great eye candy as well as laugh's with Depp's Wonka and the Oompa Loompa's (all played by one man who's been CGI'd to make millions of Oompa Loompa's) and the songs in the films are funny as hell. As for Depp, he hold's his own as Willy Wonka. Believe me he has some big shoes to fill from Gene Wilder's Wonka. However as I said before this movie is so different from the original it falls into the apples and oranges category. It's hard to compare which one is better. The original is still a great film that I will always love. Burton's version ranks right up there with it. Burton's version is almost scene for scene, word for word just like the book. The original is not even close. Which is why I can't even compare the two as well as tell you who was the better Willy Wonka. Again apples and oranges. If you want a good time at the movies where you can just leave your brain at the door and get lost in a weird, wonderful world then i highly recommend Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. Burton fans will love it. It ranks up there with Sleepy Hollow, Mars Attacks, Beetle Juice, Edward Scissorhands, and Big Fish. Even people that have never seen a Burton film (Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Beetle Juice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Mars Attacks, Sleepy Hollow, Planet Of The Apes, Big Fish and the upcoming Corpse Bride) will have a tough time not enjoying Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. It's a great time at the movies. Heck you'll find yourself wanting to go by candy as soon as the credits begin to roll. On a scale of 10 I give Charlie And The Chocolate Factory a 10. Go and enjoy. You won't regret it.