[Retro Review]: CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
First published in August 2005 on Filmrot, I’m bringing over a lot of my back catalogue just because of a couple of praiseworthy e-mails I’ve had regarding some of the older reviews I’ve made public here on StalePopcorn. This is going to be made available on the ‘Main Page’ for twenty-four hours and then it’ll be archived in our Reviews Archive found at the bottom left of the page. Hope you enjoy the ‘flash-back’. 
The last time Tim Burton remade a much-loved ‘classic’ he conned the price of four cinema tickets out of me. Yup, I’ll admit it. I got suckered. I went to see his Planet of the Apes “reimagining” four bastard times coz I was that convinced that I’d missed something that would explain to me the nonsensical conclusion he presented. Of course, many years and counselling sessions have passed by and to paraphrase Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting, I now know it’s not my fault. No, I missed nothing in Planet of the Apes. It was just crap!
I was a little mixed about how much I really wanted to see his ‘reinterpreation’ (give Burton his dues – he might be a freaky little Goth but he has an amazing ability at remaking films and always thinking of ways to refer to them without using the word ‘remake’) of the Gene Wilder musical… a much-loved staple of my childhood film-loving diet. But then I started reading that he really was going back to the fantastic Roald Dahl source novel and was going to be keeping and amping up the film’s ‘dark’ tone. And he was “getting back together” with (finally) “so hot right now” Johnny Depp. And… this is my final ‘and’ honest!… the lead was going to be young Freddie Highmore, the little lad that “nearly” made me cry and the only good thing in the otherwise thoroughly over-rated Finding Neverland.
All things considered – with the likes of Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and The Nightmare Before Christmas to name but a few under his belt, if ever there was a marrying of nigh-on-perfect director and perfect source material then not since “porn” and “Paris Hilton” has two perfect properties met. I was in.
As we all know, Charlie Bucket (Highmore) comes from a poor family (parented by Burton’s missus and false-teeth-wearing Helena Bonham Carter and Noah Taylor) but things change when Willy Wonka (Depp), the manical and reclusive owner/inventor of the very popular Wonka Chocolate empire, announces a contest in which five gold tickets have been hidden in chocolate bars and sent throughout the country. The kids who find the tickets will be taken on a tour of Wonka’s chocolate factory and get a special glimpse of the wonders within… not only that, but one individual child will be handed the keys to the proverbial castle so to speak. Charlie miraculously finds a ticket, along with four other brattish and undeserving children and together – with their respective parental units – enter Wonka’s wonderful world.
So.. cut to the chase… no bullshitting around… I dug this film a lot. I didn’t adore it. I didn’t come away thinking it’ll top my best of year or all time favourites list – although within 90 seconds of the film starting I knew that it would soon become my best friend’s all time favourite movie! I just thoroughly enjoyed myself, grinned throughout and came away feeling that my money had not been wasted and a great novel-to-screen transition had been performed.
Obviously there’s things that worked better for me then others – Burton’s decision to return to the novel’s source and concentrate on Highmore’s Charlie as opposed to the Wilder version (and obviously the title change to boot) which centred on Wonka, works exceptionally well. As does the sight gags (a montage that suggests a young Wonka is travelling the world with various flags of different countries waving behind him only to pull out and reveal he is in a flag museum… or Grandpa Joe telling Charlie he used to work for Wonka back when he was a young man only for us to flashback to Joe looking exactly the same). The absolute highlight of course is the reinvention (yes – that word again!) of the Oompa-Loompas in all their Beatles/Beach Boys/Darkness riffing glory! The decision to reinvent Wonka’s past, however, (with Christopher Lee cameoing as Wonka’s facist father) fluctuates being working well and over-staying it’s welcome by the movie’s tacked-on-conclusion. The Danny Elfman score (not the wonderful songs!) is, yet again, a seemingly remixed take on his 1989 Batman score… as is fast becoming the case for all his film music!
Depp’s performance as Wonka is as unique and inventive as you would expect from someone who is fast turning out to be one of the most interesting actors of our generation. He’s consistently funny, touching and scary thoroughout and proves an interesting counter-foil to the some-times (but needed none the less) sickly innocence of Charlie. All comparisons between Depp’s version of Wonka and “the king of pop” Michael Jackson are connected rather extranously by voice only in my opinion. The theme running throughout this movie that kills all other comparisons is simple – Jacko, allegedly and please take note of the use of the word allegedly Mr Lawyers, loved children in a “Jesus-Juice” swilling, slumber party, touching below the boxer shorts sort of way… or more ‘legitmately’ he just ‘loved’ children. Depp’s Wonka hates children. To the point that you can see in the character’s face the journey from attraction to attraction in the factory physically pains him as it is unwanted delays upon the torture he can inflict upon these – Charlie excepted – brats!
All in all, with excellent set-designs, a very smart script and some all-round-great performances, this film is a thoroughly entertaining couple of hours. No classic, not rave-worthy but in a Summer of very heavy competition, a film like this – filled with such pure, good old fashioned fun in a market severely lacking innocent childhood entertainment – is highly commendable!
And to think, with the bloated Big Fish and the diabolic last-remake / reimagining / reinvention of Planet of the Apes, just think how much this actually could have rotten your proverbial teeth and the film suddenly gets even better after you’ve watched it too.
Definitely worth checking out!
One Response to “[Retro Review]: CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY”
I liked this movie, but it’s like a chocolate bunny: tasty on the outside, hollow on the inside. It’s a great looking flick, but there’s nothing tangible under the surface.
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