Movie Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Ok, for all who have not seen the movie and do not want to have their perceptions skewed by mine, please do not read on...









I was highly excited when M said that we were going to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However, I came out less excited...

Think it was a generally well-done movie, with all the special effects and music and stuff. Tim Burton managed to keep as close to the original book as possible. The pace of the movie was somewhat draggy at times and the "accidentalism"(if there is such a word) of the 4 children's actions in the book is suggested as something that had been pre-planned in the movie. However, I love the Oompa Loompas!!! They were fantastic. I liked the way the director used a mixture of music genres to feature the hysterically funny rhymes that the Oompa Loompa's came up with. The set was also as close to the mental picture I had as I was reading the book and at times, even more than I could ever imagine! The fantastic, the whimsical, the wonderful and the unbelievable becomes real here... In general, the movie was entertaining, to say the least.

However, as a reader of the original book and having my own conceptions about the tone of the story, the movie's depressing and even somewhat macabre undertones made me shudder. Roald Dahl never explained why Willy Wonka was the way he was, which most children's books that I have read adhere by. I mean, Enid Blyton didn't have to explain why Moonface("The Faraway Tree") had his character right? So for Tim Burton to portray Willy Wonka as a man who was just longing for some family love just did not cut it with me. I wish Burton had continued with the whimsical part for that bit there...

Also, the ending was just a tad too forced for me... Seriously. You'd know what I mean when you see it. Besides, the ending just kills the opportunity of a sequel: "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator"! Oh well... But I guess they would find some way to if they really wanted to...

Oh. To add on, one redeeming factor of the movie was Johnny Depp. M was just commenting to me that he's got great acting talent, in the sense that he is what he is portrayed to be! And I totally agree with him... Depp was fantastic as Willy Wonka... Wow... I would like to have that kind of a gift...

Yeah, so if I were to rate this interpretation of this great children's masterpiece, I would give it a 3.75 out of 5.

P.S.:I discovered 2 persons who had never read "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" before!! My goodness... What a loss in their childhood!