Playing Devils Advocate

Rating: 8/10 (5 August 2005)

I personally thought that this film was amazing. Although i could see the points of criticism that some people make of it. I loved the original film but this is spectacular in its own right and from the directing to the acting i was enticed every minute.
But The portrayal of Wonka could be seen as a little distant and a little more freaky than that of Gene Wilder. I think that Jonny Depp played it well and with a deeper dimension than some people have seen. But i think a lot of people were expecting a remake rather than a new film, so have judged it too much on its predecessor.
The factory itself is amazing and with the enhancement of graphics it looks wonderful beyond your wildest dreams (which it is supposed to be). Though you could comment that on occasion it is a little too graphically produced and the om-pa lumpas(cant spell sorry!) were a little frustrating. Their songs were funny but they all looked the same which for me was one of the only disappointing bits, and made them nearly as bad as the bright orange ones!!!! Just to add the only other annoying part is that Charlie doesn't steal and show the element of a bad little boy in this film which i thought was an important dimension that was missed.
Overall though i think that it is a good film for all ages and maybe even more so for younger children who haven't seen the first adaptation. I took my brothers and the older ones thought it was rubbish and the younger ones though that it was magical. And for me that is the aim of the book so it achieved its purpose.