Review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) by Jon W — 05 Sep 2017

I remember seeing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on TV when I was 10 years old. Not really giving a crap about the Gene Wilder movie at the time, I was enthralled by what it had to offer, sparking my interest in Tim Burton for the first time despite having previously seen his version of Alice in Wonderland.

And it also made me want to read Roald Dahl's books and I read most, if not all, of his children's books. Looking back on this movie now, I still don't think it's, by any means, terrible.

People are just blinded by nostalgia and I think they were expecting a remake of the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. I admit its not a true classic unlike its 1971 counterpart and the Oompa Loompa songs are fun albeit forgettable.

Johnny Depp's no Wilder either. However, I still like this film thanks to Tim Burton's trademark stunning visuals, increased faithfulness to its source material compared to the classic movie that Dahl hated, Danny Elfman's score and dark tone.

Come on, people, I hear dark Chocolate has half a dozen + 1 healthy benefits. Freddie Highmore is cute playing Charlie. Whatever happened to him? Famous child actors such as Highmore and Dakota Fanning never appear on the big screen anymore.

If the Chocolate Factory were an amusement park, then I'd be more than willing to pay the price of admission. The Glass Elevator looks awesome. So yeah. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory may not have the charm of the 1971 classic but its visuals, score and Burton's "Pure Imagination" make it an entertaining diversion for anyone who enjoys dark Chocolate and are more into stories that are faithful to their source material.