Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (DVD, 2005, Full Frame)

We just saw this movie a couple days ago and I thought it was a great movie all around. Johnny Depp stars as Willy Wonka and Freddie Highmore played Charlie Bucket. Both you might have seen in Finding Neverland. All the actors do a wonderful job bringing this story alive. Five golden tickets to five luck (or maybe not so lucky...) children. There are a lot more family elements in this movie than in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. You see more of what Charlie's father is like. You also get more of a background about how Willy Wonka came to be the way he is. Another great thing is all the Oompa Loompas are played by one man (played by Deep Roy). There are tons of funny parts in this movie that you can't help but laugh out loud! I think this is a great must see family movie!

I loved this movie! Of course, it had a lot to live up to but Tim Burton put a new spin on it and made it his own. Rather than just re-making the same movie, Burton added to the storyline, giving the viewer more insight into Willy Wonka himself and answering some questions that we had from the original.

Johnny Depp, like always, did a superb job. I have to admit I didn’t know how I felt about his take on Wonka from the previews, but he really pulled it off. He was funny and twisted, yet very relatable.

While I loved the extended story, I did not care as much for the oompa loompas; nor did I care for the lack of songs during the rest of the film. That aside, re-making such a great movie was a hard feat and I think Tim Burton did a great job at it.

NOTE: You can find Johnny Depp merchandise at my store (http://stores.ebay.com/kelshideaway)if you are interested.

Tim Burton had a problem. How do you take a well loved musical classic and make it your own? The director did it by simply following the book. I am a fan of the original, and now I can say that I am equally a fan of the 2005 version. Tim Burton has taken a book that is loved by many a school child and remained loyal to the vision of Mr. Dahl. A father son subplot has been added, but it does not take away from the film. I highly recomend this film for young and old alike.

Dahl would be proud!
I was always disappointed with the original of this film, although it was fun and brought in elements of Wonka's eccentricity, it was far too "nice" and cheesy for me.
This version however, with Tim Burton's brilliant imagery & Depp's amazing wierdness, really hit what the original missed. My kids loved the fun, the stereotyped kids, the singing and images, while we appreciated the darkness & wit that was lacking in the original.

Loved it, will be watching again

This movie is about a kid with good values and a bunch of spoiled ones. Good to show to spoiled kids so that they learn that in the end, a good heart and values always prevail.

Johnny Depp is an excellent versatile actor and the movie is worth watching just to see what he will come up with next.

The story is well structured and has a good pace; the actors, besides Johnny Depp, are good and in general the story line is nice.

I would recommend you to buy this movie, specially if you have kids.

Tim Burton gives movie watchers plenty of eye candy in his new adaptation of Roald Dahl's dark children's classic "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Burton's penchant for gloomy tales meshes nicely with Dahl's dark moral story.

Despite what many people have claimed, it’s misleading to say Burton's movie is a remake of the 1971" Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." Sure, the basics are still the same: a poor boy discovers the last golden ticket, allowing him to tour Willy Wonka's chocolate factory with four other children – one gluttonous, one prideful, one greedy and another wrathful. But from there, the two films take different paths.

The 1971 version averts attention from the darkness or morality in Dahl's book. Focus is shifted off Charlie, onto Wonka. That’s why the title’s different. The movie inserts suicide-prompting Disney-like songs and dancing to make the film more lovey-dovey. All the while, Dahl's moralistic vision that pervades the book floats away with the insertion of Charlie's disobedience with fizzy-lifting drink.

This new, 2005 edition follows the book. It changes little but does add where Dahl left room for imagination. Screenwriter John August ("Big Fish") spent months with Burton to create a script that would have pleased Dahl. They collaborated with the late Dahl's wife, Felicity, to ensure the book was done justice.

The insertion of Willy Wonka's childhood gives the reasons for Wonka's weirdness. This film also clearly shows the bad natures of the four other kids and their parents. This movie stays true to the moral lessons that Dahl conveyed in his book.

Many argue that no one can replace Gene Wilder as the weird confectioner Willy Wonka. But, Johnny Depp gives the character meaning where Wilder could not. Depp's appearance, erringly similar to Michael Jackson, almost matches Joseph Schindelman's drawings in the book and perfectly illustrates the odd Wonka mannerisms.

Burton's other casting decisions are not debatable. Freddie Highmore (“Finding Neverland”) plays a convincing, selfless Charlie. His waifish appearance is far more believable than Peter Ostrum's blonde hair, blue eyes and healthy look in 1971. David Kelly ("Waking Ned Divine") is a loveable Grandpa Joe. Deep Roy (“Big Fish”) plays the Oompa Loompas, who sing clever yet distracting songs after each bad child's disobedience. Christopher Lee's ("Lord of the Rings”) role as Wonka's dad makes the flashbacks of Wonka's childhood alluring.

Music was only a backdrop in this movie. Danny Elfman, theme-creator of "Spider-Man" and "Batman," created no standout tunes for this movie. What little music there was in the film sounded similar to Elfman's "Men in Black" theme.

In classic Burton style, most characters have matte-finished makeup. The gray lighting in much of the movie was reminiscent of another Burton’s "Sleepy Hollow." The geese from the 1971 movie have been replaced with the nut-cracking squirrels from the book. Burton's decision to make visually impressive physical sets and use limited special effects adds to the wonder Dahl wrote about.

Enjoy Burton's "Factory" eye candy and let out your inner child, although you'll have to buy the dvd yourself.

I watched this 3 times in one day with my 3 year old...I loved it, however I expected more out of the oompa loompa's. They kinda freaked me out at the end. The movie was great though! I guess growing up with willie wonka being my favoret I was bound to like this one too. Not to mention Johnny dep Is just great! The oompa loompa songs could have been better though...The orginal song was way better than this one...(the augustas song) But over all I liked it...MY 3 YEAR OLD IS STILL WATCHING IT AS IM WRITING FOR THR 100TH TIME :)

First, I have to go on record as saying that I'll nearly anything with Johnny Depp in it. Even so, this didn't keep my kids exactly entertained. They kept saying, "This is creepy" and things like that. I enjoyed watching Depp, however, and his very different interpretation of his role compared to the one Gene Wilder played. This isn't light and sunny, true, but it is defnitely creative and worth viewing. Depp remains an actor worth watching, making moments of true magic in nearly every film he is in, from Edward Scissorhands to Pirates of the Caribbean.

I loved this movie as a child and just had to buy this when it came out, for my own children. They love it as much as I did when I was younger. I think it is a great remake.

A great flick! A little on the quirky side...but isn't that Tim Burton. Johnny Depp, just cracks me up~ I guess it was a little hard to see him that way, but it worked~that's what makes him a great actor!
Overall I am very impressed with the movie, and it is one that I've added to my movie collection...(and I know it's made after the book not the original Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)BUT nothing can replace Gene Wilder and the the first Chocolate Factory(It is a Classic After All!!).
So, If you are a Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, Deep Roy Fan or just into pure family fun and entertainment~you got a winner here!!

To get it out of the way. I would definately say it's more for Adults. Unless you think your children are mature enough and won't get upset with some of the experiences the children go through (Examples: A singing puppet show catches on fire(on purpose), and the puppets melt with eyeballs falling out and the music starts to die. A Little girl getting thrown down a garbage hole with all the bad nuts by Squirrels - A boy getting sucked up through a tube out of the chocolate river, and Willy telling an Oompa to poke around until he finds him)
The Storyline does change a little from the Original. Now we know why Willy is the way he is. Some of the experiences the children go through aren't the same as the original, but it definately doesn't take away from the movie.
The Oompa Loompas: One man is every Oompa Loompa. Where do they come from? You will see(Im not sure if they explained that in the original). They don't sing the orginal song. Each child has their own song when something happens to them. In my opinion, I liked the Original Oompas better.
This movie is very.......'Unique'. Fun and creative too. I enjoyed it. Rent it or Buy it. If you seen the Original and liked it, you should definately see this one.

this is an excellent movie. i love the original but this version is so totally different that i don't have to choose a favorit. The characters are excellent also, and who can forget that johnny depp is in this movie. I don't know of a johnny movie that isn't great.

I loved this movie, and anticipated it cince I heard that Johnny Depp would be playing Wonka. It puts a new twist that wasn't in the book or past movie version, but it explains why Willy Wonka is the excentric that he is.

My only complaint was with the Oompa Loompas. I liked the O.L.s in the original movie, but in this movie it was just one actor who was duplicated hundreds of times via computer and it made the whole thing (at least where there was more than one Oompa Loompa) look rather pathetic.

A well done movie as far as effects, casting and acting. But Why in the world choose Michael jackson to recreate the Character? Way TOO MUCH MJ all over, Too Much Pedofilia. NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN that is, if you want you kids to grow up being able to distinguish between good and evil...

This is an excellant remake of the movie. Johnny Depp does a wonderful job as Willy Wonka. This movie actually goes back into Wonka's childhood which gives us a new insight into the Wonka character.
Other people see this as a dark movie for children. I, on the other hand, do not find it dark. Unless you consider reality dark. Any good piece of work has to be dark to teach a lesson. Did we ever forget those bad children in the first movie and what happened to them? I didn't think so. This movie teaches a lesson which the world needs a little reminding now and again. This lesson is that family is important, loving and forgiving each other, and sticking together through the good and the bad. Let's not forget those nasty little children that won the golden tickets and what lessons are to be learned from their demoralizing attributes that they represent.
One difference from the first is that the scary boat ride that freaked me out as a child is not as creapy. It just looks like a cool water ride at any amusement park except for the chocoalte river.
I believe this 2005 movie is well worth watching even though you have the earlier Gene Wilder version memorized. Not to mention, the new computer graphics which have allowed the director to create a better chocolate factory than ever before. There is a lesson to be learned for young and old.

Nothing tops the first one.But thats where they screwed up!! Part 2 could of been A masterpiece, but all they did was redo Part 1. I feel they should of had Charley in charge of this one.You Know giving out the golden tickets, and giving A tour of the Chocolate Factory!!! Instead all we got was A remake of the Original, and not A great one at that!!! I guess the makers of this Film also lacked Creativeness!! The acting was Average, and that was disapointing as well. Seeing I'm A big Johnny Depp!!! Well good try, but not enough!!!

The movie had just came to theaters and I think that my husband and I were more excited to go and watch it then our children were. I absolutley adore Johnny Depp as an actor, however, his performance as Willy Wonka was not what I thought it would be. He had a much more sinister demeanor than the original Willy Wonka. The movie was put together very well, and by this I mean the background and the whole entire environment that is the Chocolate Factory. The movie itself, however does not even hit close to having the "MAGIC" that the original had. My opinion is just merely one of many, but this is one movie that I figured I could do without owning in my DVD Cabinet and we did not purchase it last week when it was released. We do own the Original though and will continue watching it.

The settings/locations were great but i think the performance is average. I love the Original movie, i watched it many times. The 2005 version, we bought it the day it was released on DVD, i fell asleep before the end of the movie so I have to re-watch it again and hopefully finish it. Love the Original version better, the musicals were excellent, more entertaining and fun. The musicals in the 2005 version is ittle weak. When the kids were eliminated one by one we were expecting to have each kid have there musicals, but we got frustrated that they were there and then they were gone and the musicals didnt happen only the workers. The workers is an image of one person multiplied by the hundreds.

I bought this movie because I am a Johnny Depp fan.Also seeing the original in the theatre over 30 years ago made me want to see this one which is closer to the actual book than the first one.I was not impressed as only 1 person was used for the Oompaloopas more should have been used.
The only redeeming quality was you got a glimpse into why Willie Wonka became the recluse he was.

I enjoyed the first movie but this remake was aweful. I expected more! The movie didn't hold a candle to the first one ever made! The original charley bucket and willie wonka can't be replaced.

Bought it for my kids of 12 and 7. I love it as much as they do! Very well done with expressions that will make you howl with laughter!

The kids (2 and 6) love it. I rented the movie and they loved it so much I had to buy it. I personally like the old version, but the kids like the new one.

I loved this movie because unlike the original this had a finish to the story instead of supposing what happened in the Willy Wonka film. Johnny Depp is great in his role and I really like him. He is more the recluse Willy Wonka should be and is in this remake. The music was okay but I know it could have been better but I could not resist buying the movie for myself.