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3445
Chocolate Galore in a Fantasy Movie Feast
Pros
Music, Visuals, Cast, Directing
Cons
Secondary plot should have been left out.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
This is a fun, entertaining remake of the classic novel.
Children's movies are not often the type I recommend. Many of them, even if they manage to pull together a semi- believable plot and a good cast of Hollywood actors and actresses, are often childish, silly, and devoid of anything meaningful or memorable. A short time after I view one of these films, I have often forgotten everything I saw on the screen.
But to every personal rule, I always find an exception. And that is the case with this movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a Tim Burton movie based on the novel of the same name. It's a movie with a mostly predictable story line (esp. if you have read the book), but with very good music and special effects.
Movie Facts:
Rating: PG
Format: Color
Director: Tim Burton
Screenplay/Writing Credits: Roald Dahl, John August
Original Release Date: July 15, 2005
Movie Length: 115 Minutes
Cast: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, Noah Taylor, Helen Bonham Carter, David Kelly, James Fox, Deep Roy, Adam Godley, Missi Pyle, Julia Winter, Jordan Fry, Philip Wiegratz, Eileen Essell, Annasophia Robb
Contents of This Movie:
Charlie Bucket (played by Freddie Highmore) is a young boy with strong family ties and a respectable nature. He lives in a place where the most talked about subject is chocolate. The reason chocolate is discussed so much is because Willie Wonka (played by Johnny Depp) is the owner of the Willie Wonka Chocolate Factory, located just a short distance from young Charlie's home.
Wonka's chocolate is known as one of the greatest treats I the world. But only a few people have ever laid eyes on the inside of the Wonka Chocolate Factory. The reason is because Mr. Wonka laid off his entire work force a long time back and, even though no one has seen the interior since, everyone is curious about the goings- on inside of the factory. Wonka might have laid off a large number of workers, but someone or something has to be responsible for making all of that chocolate.
Wonka makes a decision one day that he will allow the outside world to view his chocolate entrepreneurial creation. But he will only allow children and a chaperone to view his empire. He decides to promote this event by printing five golden tickets, which will be placed inside five different chocolate bars and distributed all over the world. The five kids who purchase one of these bars will win a trip for two to Wonka's Chocolate Factory and the opportunity to meet Mr. Wonka in person. And in the end, someone will win a grand prize- one that is much greater than the simple value of meeting Mr. Wonka and touring his facilities.
Final Thoughts:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a movie based on the popular fantasy book originally written by author Roald Dahl. I am one of the many people who read the book when I was a child, as part of a required reading assignment in the fifth grade. Knowing what I did about the book, this movie had a certain degree of appeal and I was anxious to view it, even though I don't normally prefer movies in this genre.
This movie is a little different from the book and most who have read the book will start making comparisons as soon as the first few scenes have exposed themselves on the movie screen. Right away, I started to look for similarities and differences between the book and the film. And while the movie takes a course that is different from the book, I still found it to be a very good piece of cinematic entertainment.
Like the book, this movie is a fantasy piece, centered around the Willie Wonka Chocolate Factory and the people who make it run with such apparent ease and efficiency. Johnny Depp stars as the CEO and President of the chocolate factory, and he does a fine job portraying the eccentric nature of the Wonka character. He is a little goofy at times and a little weird. But he seems to have a heart of gold hidden inside his silly exterior and Depp brings out all of these qualities with grace and style.
Freddie Highmore plays young Charlie and, like in the book, he succeeds at winning his way into the chocolate factory to see first hand how it operates. His co- stars include Violet (played by Annasophia Robb), Veruca (played by Julia Winter), Mike (played by Jordan Fry), and Augustus (played by Philip Wiegratz). All of his co- stars play obnoxious young lads and lasses, and these young actresses and actors do a commendable job in making their characters believable. They have all succeeded at obtaining one of the Golden tickets, but in more than one instance, they achieved their goal through manipulation. Only Charlie- naive, square, polite, sweet little Charlie- comes from a humble background. He seems the least likely to succeed among a group like this one, but his respectable nature wins out for him in the end.
Probably the greatest standout of this movie is the eye- catching special effects. These visuals are among the movies greatest assets and they make the film worth watching. I admit, when I first saw this movie and I got to witness the first singing number, I thought it was rather childish and silly. But the more I watched, and the more I got to see/hear some of the songs, dances, and other visuals, the more I began to appreciate them, Danny Elfman is responsible for writing the soundtrack to this movie (he has composed many other movie tunes) and he succeeds at making creative, lively music that fits in well with the movie as a whole.
Besides the main theme of the movie, director Burton decided to throw in some added pieces to the plot that revolve around Wonka and his relationship with his dad. I can understand the message Burton was trying to convey, but I didn't really like this addition to the movie. I would have liked it better if it remained focused on Charlie, his family, and the visit to the factory. This twist to the plot did add some much needed unpredictability to the movie, but I didn't feel it was very effective.
Overall, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is an entertaining fantasy film based on the popular children's novel. I didn't like it quite as much as the book (how many movies based on books are as good as the book, anyway?), but I still enjoyed the movie. The performances, the special effects, the music, and the overall entertainment value make this fast- paced movie an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. Yes, it is primarily a child's film. But if you read the novel as a kid, you will enjoy the memories that a movie like this one conjures up. It's a fun flick for people of all ages.
But to every personal rule, I always find an exception. And that is the case with this movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a Tim Burton movie based on the novel of the same name. It's a movie with a mostly predictable story line (esp. if you have read the book), but with very good music and special effects.
Movie Facts:
Rating: PG
Format: Color
Director: Tim Burton
Screenplay/Writing Credits: Roald Dahl, John August
Original Release Date: July 15, 2005
Movie Length: 115 Minutes
Cast: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, Noah Taylor, Helen Bonham Carter, David Kelly, James Fox, Deep Roy, Adam Godley, Missi Pyle, Julia Winter, Jordan Fry, Philip Wiegratz, Eileen Essell, Annasophia Robb
Contents of This Movie:
Charlie Bucket (played by Freddie Highmore) is a young boy with strong family ties and a respectable nature. He lives in a place where the most talked about subject is chocolate. The reason chocolate is discussed so much is because Willie Wonka (played by Johnny Depp) is the owner of the Willie Wonka Chocolate Factory, located just a short distance from young Charlie's home.
Wonka's chocolate is known as one of the greatest treats I the world. But only a few people have ever laid eyes on the inside of the Wonka Chocolate Factory. The reason is because Mr. Wonka laid off his entire work force a long time back and, even though no one has seen the interior since, everyone is curious about the goings- on inside of the factory. Wonka might have laid off a large number of workers, but someone or something has to be responsible for making all of that chocolate.
Wonka makes a decision one day that he will allow the outside world to view his chocolate entrepreneurial creation. But he will only allow children and a chaperone to view his empire. He decides to promote this event by printing five golden tickets, which will be placed inside five different chocolate bars and distributed all over the world. The five kids who purchase one of these bars will win a trip for two to Wonka's Chocolate Factory and the opportunity to meet Mr. Wonka in person. And in the end, someone will win a grand prize- one that is much greater than the simple value of meeting Mr. Wonka and touring his facilities.
Final Thoughts:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a movie based on the popular fantasy book originally written by author Roald Dahl. I am one of the many people who read the book when I was a child, as part of a required reading assignment in the fifth grade. Knowing what I did about the book, this movie had a certain degree of appeal and I was anxious to view it, even though I don't normally prefer movies in this genre.
This movie is a little different from the book and most who have read the book will start making comparisons as soon as the first few scenes have exposed themselves on the movie screen. Right away, I started to look for similarities and differences between the book and the film. And while the movie takes a course that is different from the book, I still found it to be a very good piece of cinematic entertainment.
Like the book, this movie is a fantasy piece, centered around the Willie Wonka Chocolate Factory and the people who make it run with such apparent ease and efficiency. Johnny Depp stars as the CEO and President of the chocolate factory, and he does a fine job portraying the eccentric nature of the Wonka character. He is a little goofy at times and a little weird. But he seems to have a heart of gold hidden inside his silly exterior and Depp brings out all of these qualities with grace and style.
Freddie Highmore plays young Charlie and, like in the book, he succeeds at winning his way into the chocolate factory to see first hand how it operates. His co- stars include Violet (played by Annasophia Robb), Veruca (played by Julia Winter), Mike (played by Jordan Fry), and Augustus (played by Philip Wiegratz). All of his co- stars play obnoxious young lads and lasses, and these young actresses and actors do a commendable job in making their characters believable. They have all succeeded at obtaining one of the Golden tickets, but in more than one instance, they achieved their goal through manipulation. Only Charlie- naive, square, polite, sweet little Charlie- comes from a humble background. He seems the least likely to succeed among a group like this one, but his respectable nature wins out for him in the end.
Probably the greatest standout of this movie is the eye- catching special effects. These visuals are among the movies greatest assets and they make the film worth watching. I admit, when I first saw this movie and I got to witness the first singing number, I thought it was rather childish and silly. But the more I watched, and the more I got to see/hear some of the songs, dances, and other visuals, the more I began to appreciate them, Danny Elfman is responsible for writing the soundtrack to this movie (he has composed many other movie tunes) and he succeeds at making creative, lively music that fits in well with the movie as a whole.
Besides the main theme of the movie, director Burton decided to throw in some added pieces to the plot that revolve around Wonka and his relationship with his dad. I can understand the message Burton was trying to convey, but I didn't really like this addition to the movie. I would have liked it better if it remained focused on Charlie, his family, and the visit to the factory. This twist to the plot did add some much needed unpredictability to the movie, but I didn't feel it was very effective.
Overall, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is an entertaining fantasy film based on the popular children's novel. I didn't like it quite as much as the book (how many movies based on books are as good as the book, anyway?), but I still enjoyed the movie. The performances, the special effects, the music, and the overall entertainment value make this fast- paced movie an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. Yes, it is primarily a child's film. But if you read the novel as a kid, you will enjoy the memories that a movie like this one conjures up. It's a fun flick for people of all ages.
