The Chocolate Factory Makes Bittersweet Chocolate Posted by: Joe Tracy, Publisher    FilmLottm

One of the biggest problems with Hollywood is that it lacks originality. Instead of creating cool new concepts, like The Matrix, they instead look for cheap ways to thrillville through movie remakes, turning TV shows into films, and bringing books to the big screen.

Even so, sometimes technology warrants the attempt to dazzle up a film and what better movie could there be than the classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? A “world of imagination” is suited for today’s technology that can bring imagination to life like never before. And in this realm, the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, courtesy of a strange man (Tim Burton) with a strong cult following, never fails.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a remake of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The producers hate that term, but it’s true. They want you to think that it’s an original creation from the book – but far from original it is. The producers must have known that people would draw stark comparisons between the two movies that have virtually the same title (except Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory focuses more on Charlie while Charlie and the Chocolate Factory focuses more on Willy Wonka. Go figure.)

So let’s first get the comparisons out of the way:

Visuals. Face it – technology has come a long way since 1971 and the current Charlie and the Chocolate Factory takes full advantage of this right from the start with a truly magnificent opening that puts you in the mood to run to the concession stand and buy some chocolate (think of the millions of dollars theaters would have made if they had sold Willy Wonka bars). The only place where the visual look of the movie disappoints is when the doors are first opened to the main chocolate factory. You expect to be wowed, but instead it’s more of “oh, that’s cute”. It’s the only area, visually, that disappoints or at least is lower than expectations.

Acting. Hands down, there is no one that could ever top Gene Wilder’s performance of Willy Wonka in 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Johnny Depp is a brilliant actor (who was only eight years old when the original movie came out), but he had impossible shoes to fill. Outside of the Wonka character, most of the acting between the two movies is comparible, including the casting of Charlie Bucket. In this movie, Freddie Highmore does a great job as did Peter Ostram in the original (whatever happened to him?)

Oompa Loompas. One of the most anticipating moments for audiences is the unveiling of the Oompa Loompas. These characters are very mysterious in nature and an important part of the movie. In the original, great care was taken to give the Ooompa Loompas a very original look (via colors, styles, etc.). But in Burton’s version the Oompa Loompa is one shrunk down Deep Roy (one actor) wearing a costume then cloned. Very unoriginal. Yet on the flip side, Burton does a much better job of telling the story of the Ooompa Loompas and of making them a more important part of the film.

Music. You can’t top the original when it comes to music. After all, it was 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that made “The Candyman” famous. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Burton took a different approach, having composer Danny Elfman create pieces around the original lyrics that appear in the book the movie is based on - Roald Dahl's “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (written in 1964). By doing a verbadum translation of words, Burton greatly limited his ability to really make the music shine and the result is neat (because it uses the original lyrics), but underwhelming.

Writing and story. The writing in the original was good, however the writing in this version is much better. The overall story flows nicely. Burton even tackles some issues that bugged a lot of people about the original. For example, in the original movie both Charlie and his grandfather broke the rules like all the other kids. They drank some potion that caused them to float up towards the ceiling fan. Burton removes that element and we get to see that Charlie does truly deserve the reward in the end. Burton also allows us to further explore the debts of Charlie’s relationship with his parents, Willy Wonka’s backstory, and the brief history of the Oompa Loompas.

Now that the comparisons are gone, I think many audiences will feel about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as I did:

It’s a very fun, imaginative, and enjoyable movie to watch even though it has several problems and pitfalls.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a movie you can have fun with – one where you can sit back and get lost in the wonderful exploration of Wonka’s palace. As you watch the movie, it’s easy to anticipate what cool gadget is going to be behind the next door. And the fascination with gadgetry begins as soon as the factory is unveiled to the public with the animatronic band (ala Disneyland / Shrek). Only this set catches on fire. Very Burtonesque, yet entertaining. Perhaps the Motion Picture Association of America’s rating says it all. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – rated PG for “quirky situations”. That sums it up nicely. When you’re in the mood for a quirky, yet entertaining, film then just view Burton’s latest chocolate creation. The chocolate tastes great, even if it is bittersweet.