Gag me with a Wonka Bar

Rating: 1/10 (22 July 2005)

I was truly stunned by how poor a film this was in most every respect. As a child the book was a favorite of mine, and to this day I retain magical memories attached to both it and the 1971 original film. Regardless, I found this 2005 version little more than a cynical attempt at scoring easy box office bucks by duping an adult audience (many whom as children fondly recall the 1971 original film) into seeing a version that supposedly was going to emphasize/capture the original book, hence the identical title...or at least, this is what Johnny Depp claimed in a recent syndicated interview I unfortunately read prior to seeing the film...
As stated by previous posters, Depp's character is neither convincing nor at all appropriate for children. One rather typical example; upon entering into the chocolate factory with all five winning contestants, Wonka/Depp announces that everything in the factory is actually edible, including himself(!!), "but that," he cleverly states, "would be considered cannibalism, which is frowned upon in most cultures." Pretty darn hilarious, huh? All sexual double entendres aside, it really came across as not only cheap, but in highly poor and vulgar taste. I found this line representative of the whole film. The movie itself is illogical; it goes from child molester creepy to a pseudo-celebration of family values in one fell swoop. The one original section the film actually adds (flashbacks of Wonka's supposed childhood) just gave me the willies and was completely unnecessary. Yuck. I could continue ad naseum but I think you get the point. Save both your money and time on this one, as Johnny Depp & Co certainly don't deserve either, in this pathetic re-make of a now-tainted, yet still classic, story.