Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory
The best way to rent movies!
|
The
plot in a nutshell
Young Charlie Bucket lives a life on the outside. Poor by even hobo standards, Charlie and his family eek out an existence in the same town as the infamous Willy Wonka, candy genius. Charlie finds one of 5 'golden tickets', placed inside Wonka bars, and wins the opportunity to see inside the legendary and mysterious factory.
This retelling of the classic Roald Dahl tale stars Johnny Depp as the eccentric Wonka, and is directed by Tim Burton.
|
Relatively
Spoiler Free Thoughts
Yes, Hollywood likes to remake movies. I'm not quite sure why people hate this so much - it's been done in other art forms for ever, without the same sort of backlash. A famous band wants to do their cover of someone else's hit song? No biggie. A play gets redone for the millionth time under a new director's 'vision'? Same thing. Even a movie based on another movie is assumed to be an instant travesty.
Of course, this film gets a little bit of a break, since it's not a remake of the movie, but another telling of a classic piece of literature. These type of movies seem a little more buffered from the raving fans, where films like Pride and Prejudice, Beauty and the Beast, or Aeon Flux (hey, it was told in the comic first) are given a pass. As long as it started its life as some other form of media, you can 'retell' the tale as often as you'd like. But if it started out as a movie, you better watch out...
If you're a fan of Tim Burton - and even if you're not - you know one thing will always be true about a film from him...it will be visually amazing. The man has a perfect eye for the fantastic and weird, and Wonka's factory gives him the chance to develop some amazing visuals.
Unfortunately, the writing and acting aren't up to the same level. There are some highlights, and I actually found myself enjoying the first third of the film the best. During this opening act we get to know Charlie and his family, and realize just what a good boy he really is. This makes what happens to the rest of the children, and Charlie's eventual outcome, all the more enjoyable.
However, once we hit the Chocolate Factory, it's all fluff. The Oompa Loompas have some great songs (and they've gotten a whole lot more def, jiggity and fly since the 1971 film) that you'll enjoy, and I don't mind the funky hair and outfits. They are Oompa-Loompas
after all. But they are damn small this time around, and the use of CGI doesn't work particularly well. They're general size seems to grow and shrink as well, since perspective isn't well maintained.
The child actors are all good, and I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see one or two actually have a career - another difference from the 1971 film. Freddie Highmore, who plays Charlie, is quite capable, and could easily blossom into a fine actor. My favorite of the other secondary kids is Annasophia Robb, who plays Violet Beauregarde, and was the lead in the recent Because of Winn-Dixie. She did an excellent job with the role, and added a few new insights into a child driven to hard by her mother to perfection.
Much has been said about Depp's performance as Wonka, and most of it includes the name Michael Jackson. Yes, if you squint your eyes just right there's some resemblance, but had the trial not been fresh in everyone's mind, I doubt it would have come up. Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors, although I suspect he is almost as eccentric as Wonka in his own life. Still, he's a reliable actor, who can be fantastic in even the worst movie. Oddly, he's the least enjoyable part of this entire film. He has a few lines and expressions that will bring a laugh, but it's not the usual Depp performance.
In the end, this film turns out the way too many Burton films turn out - very
nice to look at, but with far too many flaws underneath all the flashing
colors and pretty lights.
|
|
Rating - Skip It.
Unless you're a huge Burton fan, this film really isn't worth the couple hours of your life. Like the stereotypical cheerleader, it's cute and perky, but you'll lose interest after the first half hour.
|
|
Spoiler Laden Thoughts
Nothing very major to spoil...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The inclusion of some Wonka back story in the film really left me cold. I was also disappointed to see the loss of the Slugworth angle, which brought a little additional tension to the film, and the change to the ending. The big ending should have remained Charlie winning - instead this seems almost like a
side note, handled in such a rushed and offhand way.
Perhaps this lack of conflict was the film's biggest problem. The first third had some level of emotion, even though you knew Charlie would find a ticket. But in the last two thirds, there was little more than you joining along in the tour, ooo-ing and aaah-ing at the various nifty sets and decorations, but without ever feeling any real connection to the story.
|
 |
