A wonderful treat for Dahlites: visually rich, packed with humorous sponge and smothered in just-deserts icing.

Rating: 9/10 (28 September 2005)

A delicious family-sized gateau of a film - a slice of morality-for-the-kids-of-today here, a slice of nostalgia for seasoned fans of Dahl's subversive, black treacle stories there.
Burton's realisation of the true narrative of the book is a relief and a joy as we are whisked through the factory as we should be. Yes - THAT is how we imagined it! (the 1971 effort was always a bad nut, a silly make-the-story-up-as-we-go-along goose - what on earth are Gandpa Joe and Charlie doing bubbling up there?)
This version's power to transport the viewer, glass-elevator style, into a familiar (for the British viewer at least, LS Lowry paintings are hung nearby) yet not-quite-real fantasy world is its most potent ingredient. We are cleverly drawn into caring about, and anticipating the Golden Ticket for, (a well acted) Charlie by both the soothing, avuncular narrator (oh, it's HIM, not the Hamlet Cigar ad guy!) and quirky-homely Burton-Gothic mise-en-scene. The drama builds as one by one the tickets are found and, as the big day approaches, we are enchanted into becoming a vicarious golden ticket holder - just what ARE those mysteries and treasures within the world's largest chocolate factory?
If the tale has flaws then we can mostly look to the book: over-simplistic portrayal of the kids' behavioural traits, romanticising of Charlie's poverty (but they LOVE each other!) and Wonka's impunity for condemning an entire town to the dole queue...
But there are a few of Burton's own bad currants in the mix: Depp, although splendid in some respects, is characteristically overly-camp and childlike - an eccentric yet adultlike tour guide might have been more convincing; Helena-Bonham Carter is totally mis-cast - a slightly smudged face simply doesn't disguise her posh-ness; and, although explaining Willy's bizarre persona through his childhood is an interesting and contextualising insertion, I rather liked Mr Wonka as a mysterious figure... an unknown quantity. The riddle of a peculiar adult is endlessly fascinating to a child.
Overall however, I thoroughly enjoyed the film, went to the cinema three times to see it and, on one occasion, even felt compelled to visit London's fearfully expensive IMAX for the privilege.