Finally a version of Charlie & the Chocolate that is true to the book!

Rating: 10/10 (24 March 2006)

I had no doubt when I heard about Tim Burton making his own version of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, that it would be wondrous, as well as a little on the dark side. After reading the book when I was in 4th grade and being infatuated with the story, as well as the quirky way Roald Dahl tells a story, I found myself disappointed in the first movie, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," with Gene Wilder. It was toned down quite a bit from the book, and having also a musical made me cringe.
This new version shows not only the connection between Willy Wonka and Charlie Bucket, but also shows just how strange Willy Wonka was portrayed in the book. No one else but Johnny Depp could have done such a wonderful adaptation of the character. Let's face it, he was bottled up in that factory for 15 years living with no one else but Oompa-Loompas, and that alone would make anyone a little strange. Mr. Depp showed him as wary of adults, as well as children who would not understand his genius mind. An eccentric as he was in the book made his taste for clothes very lavish, and his being cut off from the world for so long made him think that his hairstyle was "cool!" Yet Johnny Depp was able to also portray a caring side of Willy Wonka, wanting to find an heir to take over and take care of his precious Oompa Loompas, and continue his work. And being able to find a family he could love and be loved by.
People shouldn't compare the two movies in any way. This is not a remake of the original, but a "TRUE ORIGINAL." The sets are wondrous, the casting superb, and the adaptation of the story even more fun! Thank you Johnny Depp, Tim Burton and Danny Elfman for a fun filled, quirky, ride with twists and turns that only a reader of the original book could enjoy.