Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Jul. 20th, 2005 10:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jducoeurI'll keep this one relatively concise, and free from significant spoilers.
Summary -- I agree with most of the reviews: this is a good, fun movie, despite a rather peculiar interpretation of Willy Wonka by Jonny Depp.
Wonka is the one off note of the whole thing. He's -- well, peculiar and a tad unpleasant. The movie gives him more backstory than the book does, and I don't think it entirely works. Indeed, all of the moments where the movie stops feeling like Roald Dahl (and starts feeling very much like Tim Burton) are focused on this. But I think it's okay, provided you don't expect to be seeing a remake of the Gene Wilder take on the character.
The other characters are generally true to the original, and very well done. There are tweaks here and there -- the kids are updated for modern culture -- but all are interesting, including Charlie himself. And the story is, if anything, a bit more faithful to the book than the original movie was.
And, even more than in the first movie, the Oompa Loompas completely steal the show. I must have the soundtrack.
Overall: well worth seeing. A bit flawed, but still one of the better movies of the year.
Summary -- I agree with most of the reviews: this is a good, fun movie, despite a rather peculiar interpretation of Willy Wonka by Jonny Depp.
Wonka is the one off note of the whole thing. He's -- well, peculiar and a tad unpleasant. The movie gives him more backstory than the book does, and I don't think it entirely works. Indeed, all of the moments where the movie stops feeling like Roald Dahl (and starts feeling very much like Tim Burton) are focused on this. But I think it's okay, provided you don't expect to be seeing a remake of the Gene Wilder take on the character.
The other characters are generally true to the original, and very well done. There are tweaks here and there -- the kids are updated for modern culture -- but all are interesting, including Charlie himself. And the story is, if anything, a bit more faithful to the book than the original movie was.
And, even more than in the first movie, the Oompa Loompas completely steal the show. I must have the soundtrack.
Overall: well worth seeing. A bit flawed, but still one of the better movies of the year.