Charlie.

Hmm. I just finished watching Tim Burton's remake of the 1971 classic "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," and to be honest, I'm not quite sure what to think.

With the things that I liked, I thought Johnny Depp was very interesting in the role of Wonka. After reading on IMDb all of the other people that were considered for the role (Brad Pitt, Jim Carrey, etc.), I certainly think he was the best choice. The voice he used was very interesting and indeed quirky, which is probably correct for this role. I also liked the fact that Wonka, while quirky, was also a little bit out of touch with society, which he naturally would be. He reacted inappropriately to certain things and said the wrong thing occassionally, but what else would you expect from a man who hasn't left his factory in ages? Finally, I loved the fact that the Oompa Loompa dance scenes were in the new version. In the words of Hooters, they're 'delightfully tacky', and I think they are one of the things that made you laugh in the original. They're silly and stupid, but in a way, they're not out of place with everything else going on.

On the minus side, I really didn't care for Willy Wonka's history flashbacks. I understand that they might help with character development but frankly I think Wonka's character is fleshed out enough through his words and actions. I also didn't particularly care for the morality lesson at the end, which I won't spoil for those who haven't seen it. I think that an ending like the first one would have been fine.

Overall, I'd give it 4/5 because I did find it entertaining, at some points even funny. Also, like I said above, I think Depp was a great choice as Wonka. But it would have been hard to fill the shoes of the first one, however odd they might have been.

posted by Brad @ 10:34 PM 4 comments