Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Review

If you'd like to hear my take on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, read on. If you don't want me to spoil the fun, wander back after you've seen the movie. Visually, the movie was interesting, and the Oompa Loompas are priceless. But, IMHO, if you want to experience the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, read the book or rent the original.

I can see my collection of Roald Dahl books from here. Roughly a dozen, top row of the bookcase, right side. You could say I'm a fan. Roald Dahl is one twisted son-of-a-gun. Tim Burton is also one twisted son-of-a-gun. There are some glimpses of Burton genius in the movie -- like the puppet show factory opening. But Roald Dahl's genius is sucked out of the movie by Johnny's Depp's flatline performance of Willy Wonka and the change of the overall message of the movie. Cynical as Willy Wonka is, he was a hopeful guy; Depp's version is just a clueless fruit loop.

You can't really improve on Roald Dahl, and apparently Burton et al. decided that Scrooge would make a better chocolatier than Wonka. I honestly expected to hear "God bless us every one!" to come out of the Charlie's mouth at the end. What's the deal with completely changing the essence of the Wonka character? I realize that Johnny Depp would be challenged to bring something different to his performance that would make Willy Wonka even half the character he was when Gene Wilder played him. But Depp's/Burton's interpretation just sucks; at the end of the movie, I really wouldn't have cared if the chocolate factory would have gone under.

Luckily, the movie also had Danny Elfman's music (always brilliant) and really great Oompa Loompas (like an army of miniature New York cabbies), not to mention all of that luscious dark cinematography that can only come out of Tim Burton.

To me, it really looks like Burton and Depp have been spending all their energy on Corpse Bride (coming out in September). That movie appears to have the originality and creativity that is completely lacking in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It's almost as if they produced Charlie in their off hours to get it out of the way.

I think the biggest message folks can take away from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is that if a movie is as good as Willy Wonka was the first time around, even a group of true geniuses can't improve on the thing in a remake.