Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. - CONTRIBUTED
CHARLIE AND the Chocolate Factory is based on the famed Raold Dahl children's novel of the same name. It has also been previously been turned into film with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. These two movies may at least be distant cousins, having had their genesis in the same words, but they are extremely different.
The difference is that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory may well have more for the adults to enjoy than the little tykes they take along with them, and that difference comes about because of Johnny Depp.
KING OF STRANGE
Depp is, quite frankly, the king of strange, and in playing the eccentric chocolateer Willie Wonka, he has been given a lot of strange to work with - and he once again pulls off the awesomely weird.
So with the presence of the Oompa Loompas (Deep Roy) and talk of all that candy set in a place where all flavours are possible, there is a slight flavour of a sinister underbelly which curdles around Wonka's far too fake smile and greenish tinged face. Of course, this is nothing strange for a children's tale, as with all the stories of violent break-ins (Goldilocks and Jack and the Beanstalk), maimings (Cinderella) and murder (Snow White), children's stories have often had sinister underbellies.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory also has its own set of morals. It points out the ills of having very spoilt children in whatever fashion they may come. There is Violet (Annasophia Robb) who, like her mother (of whom she is a little blonde chip), is scarily competitive; Veruka (Julia Winter), who gets her way far too often and is never satisfied with what she has; Augustus Gloop (Phillip Weigratz), who eats far too much; as well as Mike (Jordan Fry), who is bright but nasty and believes himself superior to everyone.
And finally, there is Charlie.
Now, Charlie Bucket is the sweetest boy ever and young Freddy Highmore, who looks the picture of innocence (the kind of innocence that seems to die at age five in today's world), is perfectly cast. Charlie understands that the most important thing in the world is family, even though his family is fantastically poor.
The film is directed by Tim Burton and there is much that is right with it. The cinematography is fantastic (as it should be in a tale where fantasies come true) and the set is beautifully created. This is particularly true of the Bucket residence. This house could only exist in a child's imagination (although there are some close approximation's in Kingston's ghettos).
Even so, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory seems a little less than the sum of its parts. It goes down smooth, but it may not hit that sweet spot. Though it is imaginatively conceived and presents a beautiful slice of the possibilities of film, it does not have enough energy. The balance between keeping the tale properly child and adult friendly seemed to have been thrown askew.
Of course, with all the talk of chocolate, it will probably be impossible to keep the little ones from this flick and maybe when they get there they will learn something - that chocolate is great, but it cannot replace family.
