Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

[raisedbywolves]

(big sigh of relief here) A. Ah, Mr. Burton. Welcome back to our good graces. Please don't blow it with, like, Further Adventures on the Planet of the Apes. Oh, and Corpse Bride looks smashing.

[feldspar]

Agreed.

This is the first time in a long while I've left a theater feeling that I got my money's worth.

Burton's visual style is just amazing and the whole photography of the movie is just perfect.

And when Christopher Lee first appeared, my girlfriend grabbed my arm and almost screamed out "OMG IT'S COUNT DOOKU!!!". God, I love her.

I was very surprised with Johnny Depp's performance. He really captured all the quirky charm of the character, though I had a hard time relating to his whole "family" issue. Though in most respects, the character was perfectly executed.

The only thing that kind of grated on my nerves was the Oompa Loompa songs. The vocals were really just obnoxiously loud and irritating. I couldn't make out most of what they were saying. And it sounded like they were recorded through one of the Chorus presets in Cool Edit. Other than that, though, the score was pretty fantastic. Danny Elfman can kick John Williams's ASS.

Overall, <b>A</b>. Great movie. And I really don't even like movies all that much.

[JonPorobil]

It's been a long time since I've seen an actor absolutely nail every single line in a movie. Depp, weird as you are, you've restored my faith in cinema.

Still not sure if I can abide by the changed ending and addition of "Doctor Wonka," though. I thought this one was supposed to be truer to the book; what gives?

[Bjam]

Man, this was awesome. I was surprised to see Christopher Lee in it too. Nothing bothered me too much about this movie. It's a good family movie that everyone can enjoy.

(Although hearing it all Britishy, and then random words like "pants" and "vacation" made it kinda strange. If someone came up to a kid like Charlie in a town where Charlie lived offering dollars you'd probably think they were having a laugh. Pounds, dude, pounds. Maybe it's 'dubbed' in the UK version. Maybe it's only me that thought it was strange.)

[starfinger]

I enjoyed this movie, but I was a little disappointed.
Too digital, and too innocent.

I really need to see it again to verify my feelings, since my expectations were ridiculously high.

-craig

[Hoblit]

already counting the moments to The Corpse Bride.

I liked C&tCF. I really did...and *I* got a huge kick out of the oompa loompa songs (and their back story)

Johnny Depp was both charming and disturbing and even a bit more sinister than the original part played by Gene Wilder.

Visually stunning (excepting some of the CGI which bothered my eyes a little, think Violet at the end)

Although I realized how 'real world' I feel about things and how disapointed I was in myself for letting some of that in when I thought about the lawsuits that would surely ensue. Of course, it's an innocent story and none of that exists in it...

Cute ending..I mean, the very end..cute.

[erik]

SPOILERS BLAHBALBHABLBHBLAH SPOILERS

C&tCF left me feeling just okay. There was no tension or mystery throughout the whole film, it was pretty much "Obvious things happen until the credits roll, and then we go home." I think it's another case of one of those books that's hard to make into a movie, if only because there's so much describing going on in the book that is hard to translate to the big screen in an interesting plot-driven way. The first film adds the tension by making Wonka half-insane, and by suggesting the children are potential spies. But in this one, it's just like the kids show up, and start leaving, and then there's only one. And the only reason that Charlie wins is not because he's more wholesome than the others, it's that he's so damn boring that nothing that Wonka makes interests him enough to want to try it. It's like "Oh, you're still here? I guess you would be, you're so damn boring you wouldn't do anything at all, would you?"

Because all the other kids were tempted by the thing that they love the most. Yeah, yeah, I got the point that the thing that Charlie loves most is his family. That's really sweet. But it's also pretty boring.

[blue]

i thought j depp did an excellent job of playing that same character he does an excellent job of playing in every movie.

it was OK, but i guess even OK counts as really good these days.

and yes, i know, i'm missing the "shut up, sit back, and enjoy it" gene.

i was hoping the main set would be more expansive. in the original, when they walk into the choco factory and see the river and whatnot, the boxy walls really make it scream "MOVIE SET." i was looking forward to some digital trickery there, but they kept the same general feel. i did enjoy the end, but i'm not sure i understand what happened to violet that made her into what she was (other than blue).

i don't think this movie will convince anyone who is normally critical, but nor will it displease anyone who is inclined to be positive.

[Poor June]

i went and saw it... it had some pretty wild scenes and what not...
depp seemed to come off a little bit too michael jacksonish for my taste... kinda left me queezy... it wasn't horrible... just awkward... i think it would've been better if the voice or somethin' woulda gave...
the oompa loompa's thing was kind of annoying... the whole thing with using that one guy... the songs were just cheesy and not really 'funny'... course i understand they don't wanna lawsuit for using actual 'small people'... aka midgets...

but i think it would've came off better...
the trained squirrels were pretty wild...
but all and all... i think i enjoyed willy wonka better... maybe it's just cause i grew up on it... who knows...

[Caravan Ray]

this has finally come out down here - saw it today.

Pretty good - but I don't think it really improved too much on the Gene Wilder version.

Johnny Depp's Michael Jackson thing didn't really work for me - Gene Wilder's slightly sinister, but good-hearted Wonka was better for mine.

New Oompa Loompas were great - much better than the old ones and the songs were much better.

New Violet Beauregard (and mother) was good - but the old Verucca Salt was far superior

New Charlie much better than the old one - who looked like a little poof.

Loved the squirrels and the Oompah-Loompah Esther Williams-style synchronised swimming thing.

Big fault of the old movie was the really crappy songs - at least this movie avoided that.

[DubT]

I think the music in this version was better put together then the first version but i guess we have alot better technology today to.