Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Review

by [email protected] (dnb AT dca DOT net)
August 16th, 2005
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 2005 David N. Butterworth

***1/2 (out of ****)

    It's hard to imagine a more fitting interpreter of Roald Dahl, particularly his beloved "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," than director Tim Burton ("Big Fish," "Sleepy Hollow," "Edward Scissorhands"). Mel Stuart took a stab at it in 1971 of course with "Willa Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," a colorful, kaleidoscopic adventure starring Gene Wilder as the reclusive candy maker, and while that film was fine, fanciful fun it can't quite compare to Burton's treatment, made marvelous by spectacular production design, expert casting, and an attention to silliness, much of it delivered by a winsome Johnny Depp as Wonka. Clearly Burton and Dahl seem to be on the same page, turning their fractured visions into Art with similar flair and peculiarity, and Depp's contributions once again providing the icing on the proverbial cake (ala "Pirates of the Caribbean"). The story focuses on one Charlie Bucket ("Finding Neverland"'s Freddie Highmore), an impoverished lad living with his parents and four grandparents in a rickety cottage in the shadow of an enormous chocolate factory owned and once operated by the infamous Willy Wonka. The machines that have been silent all these years are suddenly reawakened with the news that Wonka's back in business, offering five children lucky enough to find a golden ticket hidden in one of his candy bars the chance to tour his strange and magnificent factory. The delightful tale affords the director his best excesses, with creativity and humor two of the biggest selling points (not to mention the squirrels) while the entire cast is splendid, topped off by Depp in another chameleon-like performance that ranks right up there with the best of his masterful creations.

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David N. Butterworth
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