Magical, hilarious and unmissable

Rating: 10/10 (4 August 2005)

When I heard that they were making another Charlie and the chocolate factory movie, my fist thoughts were that it was just another idea to make more easy money, and would probably turn out awful. Yet these views were blasted straight out of my head when I heard that it would be another product of the dream-team (Depp and Burton). I loved all three of their previous movies together, and the thought of another was so exciting - it became my most anticipated movie for ages - I was not disappointed.
As soon as it started, that trademark Burtonness that is impossible to explain hit me and I was gripped. The whole film was visually stunning, and every actor and actress was perfectly cast, especially Johnny Depp. He delivered one of the best performances, truly taking Wonka to another level. Although Gene Wilder played Wonka well in the 1971 movie, Depp was much more disturbing and funny, yet oddly more lovable - and revealed himself towards the end as being quite vulnerable. Deep Roy was perfect as the Oompa Loompas - freaky, disturbing and funny, and sending creepy shivers down your spine when the children meet their sticky ends and they start singing excitedly, this is then all topped off with Wonka's obvious delight at their suffering (you MUST NOT miss the squirrel scene when Veruca meets her end, its, well, of want of a better word, FABULOUS.)
The whole film was pure art from beginning to end, beautiful, colourful and surprisingly Gothic, and manages to keep perfectly to the spirit of the book, which the 1971 version sadly missed. It was dark with a heartwarming centre, then coated with sugar - a perfect, faultless movie and a rare gem - you would rather die than miss this, and it would be a crime for it not to be a classic. Roald Dahl must be grinning his head off.