Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

 

Roald Dahl and Tim Burton feels like a match made in heaven: both had a thing for quirky characters and outsiders, and somehow Burton's fanciful visuals would fit pretty darn well with the stories. But then there's the fact that this has to contend with 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory', which is still a pretty bloody awesome film in every respect and a much beloved thing. 

So yes, this one comes up a little short in comparison to the Gene Wilder one. But it's okay, even with a few issues.

The story sticks pretty close to the book. Recluse and master candymaker Willy Wonka puts five golden tickets in his chocolate bars, saying that whomever finds a golden ticket gets a tour of his factory and a grand prize at the end. So five children do find this elusive item, four absolute horrific little shits and Charlie Bucket, a very poor boy who is extremely innocent and decent. 

In fact, he is so squeaky clean and innocent, it becomes annoying. The other version at least had a Charlie who felt like a real boy. This one is too nice. 

When they are allowed to enter the factory, we get our first taste of Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp). And here's where this film actually loses me. Depp apparently modelled his Wonka after Michael Jackson, but what we get is a very weird and distant portrayal. This Wonka is a little too bizarre without any special features. Gene Wilder's version always had you on edge, being nice one minute and brutally sarcastic the next, which always kept you guessing what he was really like. Depp's version is just an unbelievable dweeb who is so socially awkward, no one in their right mind would ever believe him to be the boss of a massive factory. His pale look also doesn't seem quite right.

As they venture further into the factory, the obnoxious kids get picked off one by one until only Charlie remains and he then inherits the entire thing. 

So yes, the broad strokes are all the same. The visuals are of course very interesting and possibly closer to the descriptions in the book. This makes sense, as now we have CG and in the other version, everything was a bit more low-key due to the technical limitations. However: the older one looks and feels more magical, even if it is a bit smaller in scale. At least the old one felt like a factory. This one just comes across as some magical wonderland where literally anything is possible. 

Also: the Oompa-Loompas here just plain suck. It's all Deep Roy copy pasted several times and instead of midgets, they're now apparently only 15cms tall. It's weird. Just too weird. 

Sure, I'm fine with kids inflating like a blueberry, but I do draw the line at cabooters. 

Is this one awful? No. But in terms of acting and wonder, the older version beats this one by several miles. This one just feels too slick and too 'out there' to capture your imagination. Also, the songs of the classic version are so much better. Here, they gave the Oompa-Loompas a different tune every time a kid is picked off, but there's no consistency or nothing recognisable about it all. 

Maybe that is the biggest issue with this one: it ultimately is rather forgettable and our protagonist Charlie is ridiculously bland. Stick to the Gene Wilder one.