Movie-Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I will admit...I was very prepared to dislike this movie...at the most be tepid towards it. But, I was nicely surprised by Charlie and Chocolate Factory(2005)...I actually liked it.

Maybe because all the hype is a few years old (hype is the worst thing for a movie sometimes) or maybe because the movie is much more like the book, but I enjoyed almost everything about this Tim Burton/Johnny Depp team up. (And I loved these books growing up...Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator).

First of all, it was kinda dark and a little creepy. But the books were both of those. The kids invited to the factory were perfect, and the Oompa Loompas songs were outrageously funny. But about Johnny Depp as Willie Wonka (I put a nice pic of Johnny in here for you Sharon). He is one of those actors the interprets roles unexpectedly. His Willie Wonka was very flawed, with dark secrets of childhood. And though he seemed to channel Michael Jackson at his pedophilic worst, he also dealt in sub-conscious places, of childhood hurt and exile. I can't say that I enjoyed his part altogether, but his (and Burton's) view of Willie Wonka was intriguing and really interesting.

And he really reminded me of a co-worker. Way too much.

I enjoyed the focus on Charlie and his family, and how Charlie acted throughout the film and especially in the tour of the factory. One thing left out that made the book more interesting, is that Charlie and Grandpa Joe did get into trouble in the factory...the just figured their own way out, and did not get caught. I nice element I wish they had put in the movie.

Overall, I was intrigued, surprised and laughed a few times. The visuals were amazing, and the acting was good. Not bad for a movie I expected to dislike.