Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

Cast: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, Helena Bonham Carter, David Kelly, Missi Pyle, Christopher Lee, Jordan Fry, Annasophia Robb, Julia Winter, Philip Wiegratz, Noah Taylor, Deep Roy
Director: Tim Burton
Screenplay: John August (novel by Roald Dahl)
Genre: Comedy/Family
Rated: PG mild threatening scenes
Running Time: 115 Minutes

Willy Wonka Is Semi-Sweet And Nuts

Synopsis:
Acclaimed director Tim Burton brings his vividly imaginative style to the beloved Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, about eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp) and Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore), a good-hearted boy from a poor family who lives in the shadow of Wonka's extraordinary factory.

My Verdict:
Charlie Bucket (the delightfully enchanting Freddie Highmore) comes from a poor family, living with his paternal and maternal grandparents and his parents (Helena Bonham Carter and Noah Taylor) in a very run-down house, which is within view of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Willy (gorgeous Johnny Depp) has been reclusive for years after a sabotage attempt and has decided after many years to allow five children to enter his factory.

The chosen five will be decided by lottery, won by finding a golden ticket in one of Wonka's chocolate bars distributed around the world. As the tickets are gradually found, Charlie, who is desperate to find one himself, loses faith that he could possibly be one of the lucky ones, but as fate has it, he does find the final golden ticket and finds himself standing at the gates of Wonka's factory ready for the exclusive guided tour by the man himself, Willy Wonka.

The initial meeting of the pale-faced, perfect toothed, unconventional Wonka is pure joy, as he reveals himself to the five children and their adult escorts, and invites them on a journey of discovery, of themselves and his factory. Wonka also declares that there will be a special reward for one of the children and so begins the tour, whereupon each of the children ultimately reveals their true nature, which decides their fate.

Director Tim Burton has created the most remarkable movie, busy with such an array of gadgetry, inventions, colour and ideas that most can only dream of. Bringing those images alive and combining them with such a charming cast is what makes 'Charlie And The Chocolate Factory' such a feast of fantasy.

Johnny Depp is simply the perfect Willy Wonka, with his violet-tinted contact lenses, bob haircut, pale skin, perfect teeth and an irresistible voice that oozes a child-like cheekiness. Burton has added depth to the original Roald Dahl Wonka character by creating a history involving Wonka's childhood and his relationship with his father (Christopher Lee). This helps explain the eccentricity of Wonka's character and his motives and how he actually came to become a chocolatier and further sets it apart from the previous version of 'Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory' (1971) starring Gene Wilder.

The children that take part in the tour of Wonka's factory all have their faults which are revealed one by one and are finalised with a musical item performed by the factory workers, the pint-sized Oompa Loompa's (although there is really only one Oompa Loompa - Deep Roy). This is the one part of the movie that does come unstuck, mostly because it is so hard to understand the lyrics, which are meant to add further meaning to the demise of each child.

With the proven high calibre combination of director Tim Burton and the award-winning Johnny Depp, there really isn't much to complain about with 'Charlie And The Chocolate Factory'. This really is a delightful fantasy filled journey that begs one to sit back and enjoy the magic for all it's worth. Like a high grade chocolate, this will melt in your mouth and linger long after the first bite.

Rating : ****