You never think you're gonna like the remake more.....

Rating: 10/10 (17 July 2005)

For everyone who loves Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) and is worried that seeing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) will be a waste of time, I would like to offer the following suggestion: You Could Not Be More Wrong!! I have been excited about the prospect of a new version of an old favorite for some time now, but still entered the theater with some skepticism. I left with nothing but a smile and wishing I had not waited until the very last show of the day so that I could have gone right back in and watched it again. This film further convinces me that Depp and Burton are somehow matched on a mystic or cosmic level. No two other people could have pulled off what they did. So much more of the original book was explored and such wonderful surprises pop out around every corner. From the troublesome children to the oompa-loompas you will recognize characters but in a way you've never seen them. Some scenes are as enchanting as ever (like the first room they enter) and others are brand new and utterly fantastic. For children who this is all new for to adults who can't believe a newer version could keep up with, let alone top, an original all I can say is it's magic!!