Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

[Will]

Those of you who are fans of the book, you'll enjoy this movie. For those of you who aren't or haven't read the book, I still think you'll enjoy this movie. Tim Burton does another great job and Danny Elfman gives us another great score, especially the Oompa Loompa songs (by the way are the original from the book). This is NOT a remake of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I definitely recommend this movie.

[Doug@GT]

I agree. It was very good. I saw it a second time on IMAX and it was even better.

Interestingly, my first thought after seeing it was, "Well, this one should be called 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' and the old one should be 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.'"

Burton has demonstrated once again that he's VERY good at what he does. The Veruca Salt sequence is pure genius.

Doug "who really really enjoyed this movie, which is something rare these days"

[TMurphy]

I probably won't go see it because Johnny Depp's "Michael Jacksonish" interpretation of Willie Wonka creeps me out. The previews were incredibly annoying thanks to that.

That was entirely the point. What this movie makes a point of, which the original movie ignored, is that Willy Wonka wasm until he issued the golden tickets, a complete recluse. Someone who lives in a chocolate factory (let alone that factory), and spends all day with Oompa Loompas, is bound to be...well...a bit creepy. Johnny Depp does a great job of giving him that creepiness, which I'm sure was very important to Tim Burton. Excellent movie.

[ThomasDodd]

is bound to be...well...a bit creepy. Johnny Depp does a great job of giving him that creepiness

I always found Gene Wilder's version of Wonka creepy, especiall as a younster. Not so much now, but his reactions to the mishaps during the tour...

[Daryl Fletcher]

I just got back from seeing the movie tonight in IMAX. I'm in Charleston, South Carolina this week for work.

I haven't been all that crazy about everything that Tim Burton has done, but this one is quite good.

When it first came out, I did hear about the comparisons between Johnny Depp's portrayal of Wonka and Michael Jackson. Having seen it for myself now, I can't really draw that comparison. Willie Wonka is weird, but he is a genius and has a lot of depth to his character. On the other hand, Michael Jackson is weird and has absolutely no redeeming qualities at all.

[Dylan King]

I finally went to see the picture tonight. I went to the Pacific Theaters in downtown Culver City, which is just on the other side of Sony Studios from my apartment. About one mile away. The theater is right next to Culver Studios, which is the old Desi-Lou studio complex, where many shots from The Wizard of Oz were taken.

When we arrived there was a man across the street cursing out a couple. He looked to be homeless and the two of them looked to be homeboy and homegirl. They turned the corner and the loud hate shouting faded away.

It was the late show, and there were only three groups of patrons in the theater, my friend P. Dyddy and I, a duet of teenage girls, and a family of perhaps eight in the back row. The family had children of all ages, ranging from toddler to teenager. They talked a lot during the show, sometimes speaking in Spanish. The girls behind us talked at little at the beginning and I shushed them, and they were cool the rest of the way through. The family in the back didn’t care. When they left at the beginning of the credit roll, I noticed the ages of all the children. It was 12:25am.

Besides that, I did enjoy the movie. Warner Bros., Tim Burton, and Johnny Depp all have a real good thing going right now. It will be interesting to see how many people go to the next Burton puppet film. Johnny Depp just got an office on the lot at Warner’s. You can expect to see at lot more of them in the near future.

The opening sequence was a winner. It has been a while since Danny Elfman has sounded like the Elfman of old, and he finally did it. The acting was good, and I thought the strange recluse Willy Wonka character was quite interesting. What do people want to see? A sweet, dancing, jolly Willy Wonka has already been done. Johnny Depp is good as usual, but Michael Jackson would have been a better choice.

Just kidding. Can’t go wrong with J.D.

There were some great bombastic low brass moments in the score. The orchestrations were top notch. Elfman has the perfect relationship with Tim Burton, and their friendship/Looney-ness shows up in their movies. Steve Bartek obviously learned some great tips from Scott Smalley. A few times it sounded like the brass was actually playing BBBlastisimo, not just wearing it on their novelty golf hats. I would have liked to play the Yorkbrunner on this soundtrack, along with all that fantastic cimbasso and bass trombone work. It certainly sounded like an extra-beefy low brass section. Loved it! I think I’m a little too much like Willy Wonka to hustle a job like that. But it was a good movie and soundtrack. I wouldn’t be surprised if I dreamed on it.

[Will]

I bought the soundtrack after I saw the movie for the second time. I had forgotten how dark and sinister some of the lyrics to the Oompa Loompa Songs were. Reading them while listening to the CD helped me remember from back when I read the book in primary school.

Can't wait 'til it's out on DVD!

[Daryl Fletcher]

I have a question.

Willie Wonka gets upset with Augustus Gloop for touching the stream of chocolate, since it is pure and must never be touched by human hands.

In the new movie, only a few moments after Augustus falls in, the Oompa Loompas begin synchronized swimming in the chocolate in the style of a 1930's musical.

If touching the chocolate is prohibited, why is it alright to swim in it?

[Will]

Maybe it can only be touched by the oompa loompas due to having to work with it all day as well as their god-like worship of the cocoa bean!

[funkcicle]

When Augustus was drinking the water Wonka said something to the effect of "that chocolate must never be touched by human hands"...the ridiculous juxtaposition of the Oompa Loompas swimming in it right afterward fits perfectly with Dahl's writing..my question is- was that right from the book, or original to the new film? Good writing either way.

[Daryl Fletcher]

I thought that when the Oompa-Loompas made their first appearance in the film, Wonka made the statement that they indeed were human.

The movie web site (flash version) seems to verify this:

While traveling abroad in search of new candy flavors, Willie Wonka encountered a race of tiny people called Oompa-Loompas.

I have never read the book, but now all this is bugging me to the point that I have requested a reserve copy from the library so I can figure out what was added where.

But, as far as the absurdity of bursting out into song as an unfortunate but gluttonous child is being sucked up and later shot through a drain pipe, that at least is consistent with the rest of the movie.

[tjonp]

I seem to be the only one here who prefers the old movie.

In some areas, Tim Burton follows the book better, but I just didn't like the backstory of Willy Wonka being a dentist's son, and I thought the ending distorted the spirit of the original book.

It's been a long time since I've read the book (I was a huge fan of Roald Dahl's books as a child), but I just don't remember it being dark or creepy. It was remarkable how Dahl managed to take a story about disappearing children and make it light and comical. The old movie stays truer to this spirit, I think. Maybe I should go back and read the book to be sure.

I definately like the soundtrack of the old movie better. Gene Wilder singing "Pure Imagination" gives me goosebumps. None of the oompa-loompa songs of the new movie stuck in my head.

IMHO, FWIW, YMMV, ETC.

[Will]

I too didn't care for the storyline of Wonka's childhood. But that's what you have to expect from Tim Burton when he remakes a movie. There's always something added to the story that most would rather keep out, in a way trying to keep to the origional (i.e. the end of Planet of the Apes).