Tim Burton is a magician and a movie whiz!

Rating: 10/10 (16 July 2005)

This version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" intrigued me the first time I heard about it, with Tim Burton at the helm and Johnny Depp as Wonka. It also made me go back and reread the beloved book by Roald Dahl, and then, as I thought about Depp as Wonka, I was a slight bit worried about it. I didn't want Depp's Wonka to be *too* weird.
However, the movie is excellent, and though Johnny Depp does of course portray Wonka as quite weird, it's perfect, and has hilarious results. Freddie Highmore as Charlie is also just right: caring, loyal, imaginative, and unselfish to a high degree. There was hardly a moment when I found myself comparing this film to the Gene Wilder version, and when I did compare the two, it was never unfavorably, just remarking on how different the two versions are. Danny Elfman's score is also perfect, with the Oompa-Loompas' songs and the main title theme.
I think Tim Burton was absolutely correct in stating that his version of "Chocolate Factory" is a whole different take than Gene Wilder's "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory": it's not a remake, it's actually truer to the book. (Not saying that either version is better than the other.) I think kids will love the wondrous scenery of the factory and the brattiness of the other four kids. But if you're not a kid, you can still wholeheartedly enjoy this funny, fantastic, and totally entertaining movie.