"Candy doesn't have to have a point. That's why it's candy." (Review)

When people hear that a beloved classic is going to be remade they mostly react negatively…mostly. When I heard that Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was going to be remade with Tim Burton at the helm, and starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka himself, I was actually quite thrilled. I’ve always enjoyed Burton’s films (with the exception of Batman Returns, where I’m convinced Burton was either on more drugs than usual or had stopped taking them altogether) and I really enjoy Johnny Depp in Burton’s films. Considering the quirky bizarreness (is that a word?) of Roald Dahl’s novel of the same name, I figured a Burton/Depp interpretation would be perfect. I wasn’t far off.

The key thing to keep in mind when watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, especially if you’ve seen the original, is that this film is not trying to change or improve upon the first. It’s simply a re-telling of the same classic story. With that in mind I thoroughly enjoyed the recent version. Depp is the perfect Willy Wonka. Of course, Gene Wilder was also the perfect Willy Wonka. That’s the beauty of it; they’re both great films. They just happen to have the same characters and tell roughly the same story.

For those of you who haven’t read the books or seen the movies, and shame on you if that’s the case, here’s a quick run-down. Willy Wonka is a candy maker who shut his factory down many years ago after industrial espionage caused many of his secret recipes to be pirated by other candy makers (sorry, it’s a Depp film, I had to use a pirate reference). Charlie is a young boy from a poor family who is fascinated with the factory and the mysterious Willy Wonka. The story begins with Willy Wonka announcing that five lucky children will be given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a personal tour of the chocolate factory, led by none other than Willy Wonka himself. Five golden tickets have been randomly hidden in the wrappers of five chocolate bars. Whoever finds one, wins.

What unfolds is a spectacular, fantastic, magical ride through the world of Willy Wonka and his magnificent candy. The set pieces alone are worth viewing this film (and the original). From chocolate waterfalls and edible grass to trained squirrels and great glass elevators, the chocolate factory itself is truly a world of imagination (ok, I’m stealing lyrics from the first film, but let’s call it a creative tie-in). Burton has created a beautiful and wondrous world for us to experience with Charlie. And he’s given us the perfect tour guide.

Johnny Depp is brilliant. And I’m not just referring to his role as Willy Wonka. I think he’s one of the more underrated actors in Hollywood. Edward Scissorhands, Ichabod Crane, Captain Jack Sparrow, Sir James Matthew Barrie and now Willy Wonka. Tell me that’s not versatility. His portrayal of the eccentric candy maker is definitely the highlight of the film. Not quite as dark as Gene Wilder’s take on Mr. Wonka, Johnny Depp maintains that curious quality that keeps us guessing. I’ve always felt that there was much more going on inside Willy Wonka than met the eyes, and Depp pulls it off just as I’ve always imagined it. It’s amazing that he can create such an entertaining and engaging character after Wilder already entertained and engaged us with the same character. Johnny Depp is brilliant.

Freddie Highmore stars as Charlie. You’ll remember him from Finding Neverland, also starring Johnny Depp. His performance is just as endearing as that of young Peter Davies and it’s easy to see why Depp recommended him to Burton for this film. I didn’t recognize the actors portraying the other four children, but they pull it off as you would expect. They’re the obnoxious, annoying, selfish, greedy little brats that we expect them to be. Mission accomplished.

If I had to pick one thing I didn’t really like about this film it would have to be the music. One of the things that make the original a classic is the wonderful music. I can still remember the lyrics and music for ‘World of Imagination’, ‘The Candyman Can’ and that catchy Oompa Loompa song. Sadly, the music for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is not nearly as memorable. While the lyrics for all the songs were taken from Roald Dahl’s writings, the melodies and tunes are merely so-so. I was excited to hear the first Oompa Loompa song in this new version but ended up being slightly disappointed. It just wasn’t catchy. I couldn’t hum you a single bar of any of the songs from the film. That can’t be good.

Other than that little hiccup, I enjoyed the film immensely. The 2-disc Deluxe Edition DVD is presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic video, which fills the screen and looks vibrant and crisp. The colours are somewhat washed out during the first act, but this is to emulate the run-down look of London during the time. Once we get inside the factory itself everything looks much better. It reminded me a bit of the scene in Wizard of Oz when Dorothy first walks out the door of her house into Munchkin Land. The sound is encoded in Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (which simulates a 6th speaker using the 2 surrounds) and sounds great. Dialogue is clear and sound effects and music are well balanced. The second disc contains special features. Have I watched them yet? I’ll let you take a wild stab at that one.

Overall, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a wonderful re-telling of a classic tale. I think children would certainly get a big kick out of this recent rendition. It could easily become a new family classic. Depp’s performance and Burton’s unique vision work perfectly for this story. There are even a few minor deviations from the book, which give us a peek at Wonka’s history and upbringing. In the end, despite a few disappointing musical numbers, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory serves up a delicious treat that is sure to make you smile.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory gets 7 Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight bars (out of 10).

Strawberry-flavored, chocolate-covered trivia for ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.