Surely you have dreamed at some point of finding a golden ticket in a chocolate bar and having the chance to visit the factory of the best chocolatier in the world.
Directed by Tim Burton, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005) is a film that to this day still divides opinions about the now classic story of Charlie Bucket, a very poor boy who wins one of five golden tickets to visit the mysterious and magical factory of the eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka, along with four other children.
Before knowing the classic movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" I watched this remake many times during my childhood before realizing it was a remake. Later, by chance, I saw the original film on TV and couldn't help but make comparisons.
Unlike the 1971 adaptation "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory" starring Gene Wilder, Burton created a vision much more faithful to the work written by British author Roald Dahl and published in 1964. It is quite a technical feat to adapt the aesthetic fidelity, something not all directors manage to do.
Certainly, this version improved the aesthetic aspects thanks to Tim Burton and his peculiar creative vision that brings to life a strange and fantastic place. Wonka’s factory is amazing because it is a fantasy world where everything is possible within its walls.
Visually speaking, the film is a spectacle in many ways; it evokes sensations like the desire to eat chocolate. Burton built an astonishing world he seems to know well, which can be seen in the design of the impoverished home of the Bucket family, as it is similar yet very different in color contrast.
The production design is at a very impressive level, and I would say the funniest and most interesting thing to watch in this version are the Oompa-Loompas (played by Deep Roy), who are like background characters that steal the show, thanks also to Danny Elfman’s soundtrack.
I suppose this is the closest to the chocolate factory that Dahl always imagined, where the punishment of spoiled children is executed spectacularly.
The biggest point of interest and debate will always be Johnny Depp’s Willy Wonka, who is constantly compared to the previous version from 1971. Seeing the eccentric chocolatier as a deeply misfit man-child, averse to human contact, made me feel very identified.
It is not my intention to write a post comparing both films; I want to share my opinion of this version, and I like that they gave Wonka a backstory. While Wilder’s Wonka was an unpredictable gentleman, Depp’s has traumas that make him an endearing human being: that’s why I consider it his best version. And having Johnny Depp portray him is a bold acting choice. Likewise, the rest of the supporting child cast is phenomenal.
Music is an important element that differentiates both versions. I cannot give many plot details to avoid spoilers, but you should know that at some points in the film the Oompa-Loompas improvise a song: this also happens in the original movie, but the remake does it much better; instead of singing the same song repeatedly in different sequences, in this version each song is different and a visual spectacle that is appreciated. (Although the original film is a musical, it uses more theatrical music in pure Broadway style.)
The inclusion of an origin story for Wonka seems like a good decision to me. I understand that this plot is completely absent in the novel, but I think it’s a good addition to the story.
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" has already become a classic in Tim Burton’s cinema. It is a dazzling, dark, and extremely entertaining film, with that human warmth favoring the strange. It is a treat that delights both by its packaging and its sweet flavor.
Rating: 90/100
