Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

[SteveCallas]

Finally got around to catching this on HBOHD, and though my expectations were low to begin with, this was worse than I imagined. I'm quite perplexed at how some reviewers stated a preference for this film over Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory I found Depp's portrayal of Wonka to be dull, ackward, and sometimes annoying...Wonka didn't really add anything to the film. Wilder's portrayal on the other hand goes down as one of the best performances on film in my opinion -witty, charming, and with a slight twist of cruelty. I enjoyed the children from the 70's version more too, the new kids seemed far too unbelievable. Also, in general, the comedic tone of the 70's version is more to my liking than this new version - the 70's version has short cut scenes that exaggerate the importance of Wonka's contest, all of which are very well done.

Anybody else feel the same way? I can watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory over and over - I'd prefer to never watch this new version again

[Sonnie]

The old movie was one of my favorites back in the day... I watched it several times. I've not seen the new one and it just really hasn't enthused me enough to even rent it.

[alan monro]

The new one is rubbish.alan

[brandonnash]

From the previews of this movie I have no desire to see it at all.

[Woochifer]

I think a lot of the preferences for the newer version come from people who are more familiar with the book, because the new movie is much more faithful to the events and almost satirical tenor of the book. As beloved as the original Gene Wilder film is, I grew to dislike that particular film after I read the book and saw how much better the movie could have been had it stayed truer to Roald Dahl's vision.

The editorial changes to the story made the movie sappier and more sentimental, and blunted the sarcastic edge that was much more prevalent in the book. I mean, for all of the fanboy devotion to the 1971 movie, who among us doesn't come close to going into a diabetic coma every time that vile "Cheer Up Charlie" number pops up? I hated that scene as a kid, and hated it even more after I read the book and saw how it was supposed to go (i.e., with Charlie and Grandpa Joe laughing at the absurdity of it all -- no crying or whining on Charlie's part just because he didn't get a golden ticket).

Roald Dahl hated the 1971 movie so much that he refused to release the movie rights to the sequel book, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. Word is that the Dahl estate likes Tim Burton's version, so hopefully this will free up that great story to make its way to the big screen. (That story is more like bizarro version of a Doctor Who adventure, as the Wonka glass elevator actually goes space traveling)

The Tim Burton movie very much captures the sense of wit and mischief that was prevalent in the book. And the larger budget allowed for more of Roald Dahl's original vision (and the accompanying illustrations in the earlier book editions) to translate to the screen.

Johnny Depp though really was a weak link. He aimed for Marilyn Manson and wound up with some quirky version of Michael Jackson. The Willy Wonka role was unfortunately miscast in both movies. Otherwise, I think the 2005 version is more completely developed film overall, and stays closer to the book, which IMO did not require very much in the way of unilateral changes to begin with.

[SteveCallas]

Even if this new version is 100% faithful to the book and the 70's version is 99% unique material, I still find the 70's version much more enjoyable. The other part I forgot to mention was the oompa loompas, I really couldn't believe how bad that was handled in the new version

[Woochifer]

SteveCallas wrote:

Even if this new version is 100% faithful to the book and the 70's version is 99% unique material, I still find the 70's version much more enjoyable. The other part I forgot to mention was the oompa loompas, I really couldn't believe how bad that was handled in the new version

It's not a difference on that order of magnitude, but the 1971 movie made some key departures from the original book that IMO decidedly detoured that movie for the worse.

- Charlie Bucket in the book was not a whiny crybaby like in the movie

- Willy Wonka in the book was more a cantankerous old guy with somewhat of a mean streak, for whatever reason both movies made him either overly warm and fuzzy or just plain weird (as I said, I think both movie versions blew it with the casting here)

- the whole Slugworth subplot/moral dilemma was made up for the 1971 movie and IMO was indicative of how that movie wound up with a moralistic and paternal tone that was the opposite of the edgier approach in the book (and the Tim Burton movie)

- the Oompa Loompa songs got severely toned down in the 1971 movie; the lyrics in the Tim Burton version come from the book (more mean-spirited, but again, more in line with what Roald Dahl originally wrote), and I certainly prefer the music arrangements in the Burton movie (Danny Elfman channeling back to his Oingo Boingo roots is certainly a plus, especially compared to pedestrian nursery rhyme approach in the previous movie)

- almost all of the backstory on Willy Wonka himself was left out (i.e., the royal chocolate palace, the closure of the Wonka factory, the first meeting with the Oompa Loompas, etc.), yet other scenes that were not in the book like the fizzy lifting drinks and the golden ticket fraud subplot got added in (and IMO did not add to the bottom line)

You did say that you were perplexed at how some reviewers would prefer the Tim Burton version, and I think a lot of that simply arises from how good a book Roald Dahl had from the outset. In general, I think the more people enjoyed the book, the less likely they are to speak fondly of the 1971 movie. It's not a bad movie per se and can be enjoyed on its own terms. But, when weighed against what it could have been (and should have been), it's a big-time disappointment.

When I originally heard that a remake was coming, I really hoped that Burton would finally get things straightened out. While I was frustrated by Johnny Depp's interpretation of the Wonka character and did not like how they inserted their own extraneous moral dilemma and sentimentality at the end (i.e., the Bucket/Wonka family angle), as a whole I thought the Tim Burton version came much closer to realizing the potential in Roald Dahl's story.