Movie Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Wonderful visuals and great puns throughout.

Cons: Depp's over the top performance. The Wonka back story.

The Bottom Line:

Closer to the book

But the added back story

Is not improvement

Better Than the Original, but Still Not the Definitive Take on the Book

I'm not normally a Tim Burton fan. Just the previews of his movies usually look weird enough to me that I pass right on by. But, since Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a new version of one of my favorite books from childhood, I had to give it a chance.

To be honest, I've never been a fan of the original movie version, either. It took too many liberties with the story, changing the entire makeup of Charlie in the process and missing the point of the story. But that's a rant for a different review. The reason I bring it up here is because I went into this one hoping to love it and without the baggage of liking the previous one.

The story is rather straightforward. Charlie Bucket comes from a poor family that is barely making ends meet. It gets even worse after his father looses his job.

Charlie loves chocolate, which he gets one day a year - his birthday. To make matters worse, he lives in the same town as the mysterious Wonka Chocolate Factory, the best candy factory in the world.

One day, Willy Wonka announces that he will open his factory to five lucky kids who find the golden tickets in his candy bars. As the winners come in, they are all selfish, obnoxious children. Charlie doesn't have a chance of getting to go. Or does he? And what wonders await the winners in the factory?

The movie is visually stunning. This is a playground I would love to visit in person. The colors are vibrant and everything is interesting. Tim Burton obviously had a wonderful time creating the visuals to match the book. In addition, much of the humor remains, including great puns and the wonderful scene with the chocolate mansion.

Speaking of the book, this movie does a better job of sticking to the story in most areas, but especially in one key area, Charlie. While he can come across as a goody-two-shoes at times (a problem with the book as well), just about anyone would with the obnoxious brats for comparison. The original movie tried to fix that problem, but I much prefer him this way.

The movie gets so much of the basic plot right, any fan of the book will love it. With the advance of special effects, the story is brought to visual life in ways that weren't possible 30 years ago when the original came out. While the characters have been modernized a little, it adds to the story rather then detracts from it.

The real problem comes with the added back-story. Willy Wonka now has a past involving a dentist father who hated candy. Frankly, it more detracts then adds to the plot since the point of the movie is the wonders of the factory itself. It also throws in a theme of the importance of family relationships that seems tacked on to the theme we see most of the time about the importance of behavior and manners.

Compounding this is Johnny Depp's weird portrayal of Willy Wonka. I knew from the previews to expect it, but it still was too over the top. I left the theater wondering why he wanted to open up his factory period. Granted, the character is supposed to be a crazy eccentric, but he was never this cold and almost creepy.

This movie does have many things going for it. The visuals, characters, and effects are great. It's less likely to scare kids then the original, too. Tim Burton's desire to add a back-story ultimately backfired, however, leaving the book as the best way to familiarize yourself with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.