Not a remake but a second adaptation of a book

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is by no means, a remake of the 1971 classic, but a second version of the Roald Dahl book. While the Gene Wilder/Mel Stuart collaboration was a sweet musical cum family film, this Tim Burton version is a slightly sinister, almost musical-less adaptation. If anything, it's probably closer to the Dahl book than the '71 film was, which means it takes on darker overtones. I myself never read the Dahl book but intend to after watching the movie, since as of late, I've been converted to the many fans of Dahl's works. For those who often associate Dahl with writing sentimental kids books adored by the masses, he had a different side to him which was both intriguing and illuminating. Subtly within each of those books is a hint of dementia, violence, and negativity, all of it cleverly devised as a piece of pure black humor. Such a thing was expanded much into Dahl's other works, which clearly don't cater to the under 10 crowd because these stories were told with a sinister twist that were really entertaining.

So Charle and the Chocolate Factory, while I haven't read it, does keep in touch with Dahl's twisted sense of humor. To make an analogy, the first film is sweet, loving milk chocolate, while this film is dark chocolate, initially loved as a less popular flavor by the masses. As a devotee of both the 1971 film and of Roald Dahl, I will say I was definitely impressed by this movie. It's visually striking, well acted, and oddly constructed. As with all Tim Burton films themselves, he uses striking visuals and production design that later occupy all the themes of his films. Each character in Burton's films often live in a surreal world, populated by strange creatures whether human or non human. Where else could a movie like Edward Scissorhands, with it's scissors for fingers protagonist live with a happy suburban family, exist without it's creator, Tim Burton? Or the stark visuals of Beetlejuice that takes an eccentric but loving look at the afterlife?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a movie that can almost group itself with Big Fish, Burton's 2003 effort about a grown man reconnecting with his dying father. In itself a sweet film, Big Fish never sentimentalizes it's characters or it's story, by only focusing on the story at hand and making the audience enjoy what unfolds. This is a nice touch to a plot device often exploited for tears out of the audience. Don't get me wrong, the thought of a loved one dying is an infinitely sad idea, but through Burton and screenwriter John August, they don't overdo it by overestimating the audience. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory does the same thing, favoring the characters and the story over the idea of sentiment and nostalgia. All together, it's a wonderfully crafted movie for families.

The story is about a young man named Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore, Johnny Depp's Finding Neverland co-star) who is sweet, kind, and very loving. Belonging to a loving family doesn't hurt since the family comes from nothing and lives in poverty. But none of that matters since they've got each other as Charlie has both his parents (Noah Taylor & Helena Bonham Carter), and all four grandparents, including Joe (David Kelly). Now, what's happened is Willy Wonka, the world's most reclusive candymaker in the world has let it be known that there's a tour available in his factory, which no soul has ever seen in their lifetime and never will. Wonka has hidden five golden tickets within the chocolate bars, all randomly placed for someone's finding, which becomes an international frenzy when people start buying up cases of the stuff. Either it's a clever marketing blitz or a genuinely mysterious trick by Wonka. The five have found the ticket, including Charlie and they're guided through the tour.

I won't reveal any specific details of what goes on, and for anyone who has viewed the first film, you pretty much know what happens in the new film. The sequence of events are almost clockwork but things have definitely been changed around. For instance ,the notorious boat ride sequence that featured a chicken's head being lobbed off, has been omitted. This time, it's been replaced by a giant boat designed to look like a purple seahorse, sans any nightmarish visuals. Another thing is certain characters have been changed around like Violet's father, now mother and Mikey's mother now father. These are just some of the more subtle things but you won't see any Schnauzberry-flavored walls or Willy singing "If you want to view paradise...". It's not here as a full blown musical but an adaptation. But there are musical numbers, all of them done by the likes of the Oompa Loompas (all individually played by Indian character actor Deep Roy), who are smaller and more "eccentric". Some of the numbers have been used to conform to today's music but not all of them. Seriously, this is a musical a la Tim Burton style so it's bound to be interesting.

What I love about this film is many things. The kids in the '71 film were no doubt, brats. But the actors or the script didn't really exhibit that. But in this version, the audience is given all a reason as to why not to like any of the little bastards. In one way or another, they're spiteful, rude, and just plain rotten to the core. What's worse is how they all act to Charlie which is inhumane. Earlier in the film, fatty Augustus offers chocolate to Charlie, who says he would like some, only to have the brat say "You should've brought some." just as he chomps into another bite to stuff his fat face. Screenwriter John August improves on the behavior and persona of the kids, and they almost seem to resemble one negative behavior. One is spitefully competitive, one is just psychotic, one is greedy, and one is just spoiled. An easier description would be that if the kids had to choose between getting a great prize or their own families, they're going to pick the prize with no questions asked.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is indeed a very outlandish movie that might either be really kitschy, tongue in cheek, or completely off it's rocker. Within the realm of this giant factory exists a fairy tale land inhabited by a candy coated park, television screens that can shrink chocolate, and even a hospital room that repairs puppets (in one of the film's most unusual musical numbers). All of this reflects it's crazy creator Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp), who character is practically a composite of the actor's previous characters: Ed Wood and Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp's character is an optimistic, focused soul whose very extroverted, eccentric, and childlike individual. It's hard not to like him, and it's obvious that you know where Wonka stands in relation to the characters. If anything, he's there to teach the children some serious lessons for their actions, which prompt all of them to act rude beforehand, thus showing their true faces.

Above it all is young Charlie (Highmore) who never lets his guard down as a loving kid. He is what he is and we understand that in the film's third act (which is different from the ending of the first film in certain ways). Unlike the rest of the kids, Charlie is just a good natured kid deserving of better, but never stepping on anyone's toes and always remaining humble. As for the story, they do give backstory to both Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompas. While the audience could use their imagination in the '71 film, Burton illustrates that: how the Oompa Loompas came to work for Wonka and their origins. But also why Willy Wonka is the man that he is, concerning Wonka and his dentist father (Christopher Lee), who had a traumatic impact on his only son.

The movie excels at quite a rate from place to place, character to character. Each set piece allows the character to roam about freely and show their true nature. Much of that reflects on the parents, whom mostly stand there helpless as their kid overpowers them in some way. All of this is tied together with what happens in the end, which tries to examine the relationships between fathers and sons, much like Willy and his father, Willy and Charlie. Through all of this, the movie never slows down and keeps moving with Depp and Highmore the central focus. It's quite a film and an unusual one at that, but a very entertaining movie for audiences to watch without getting bored, because what happens next is worth everything in the beginning.