FILMBRATS - REVIEWS

Willy Wonka, the famous reclusive candy creator, has announced a contest that will allow five lucky children a chance to tour his factory. One of those five will also receive a special, secret bonus prize. The whole world scrambles and buys Wonka bars, hoping to get one of the golden tickets that will gain them entry into a palatial building that has been closed to the public (and its former employees) for many years. Charlie is one of those hopefuls. However, his large family is too poor to afford anything more than one bar a year. Will he beat the odds and become one of the chosen few?

I think it’s pretty safe to say I’m not spoiling anything when I announce that Charlie does in fact get to be part of the tour. But before we get there, let’s talk a little about the lead-in. This is the best part. The writing (by John August – “Go” and “Big Fish”) is at its sharpest and most fun during this opening. The movie is charming and funny and witty and original. What was meant to be an appetizer actually ended up spoiling the dinner, because once inside the factory, things sort of fell off.

Although visually interesting, the factory fails to really enthrall in any other way. Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Wonka is identical to what Michael Jackson would have looked and sounded like if he were to land this dream job. But, although the thought of MJ leading five pre-pubescent kids into unknown corners of a giant playground-like factory is a creepy one, Depp is completely harmless. Here, he’s more socially inept than deranged, and that just makes it less fun to watch – especially in a Tim Burton directed picture. The tour itself tries to create a little adventure, but it isn’t all that strange or fascinating. All the buttons on the glass elevator hint at rooms that would be far more appealing than the nut harvesting room.

And the kids couldn’t get out of the picture quick enough. I hated them all. Not in the “oh what a little brat, I hope (s)he gets what’s coming” type of way, but more in the “I don’t want to have to look at you or hear you at all. Get off my screen” type of way. What made it worse were the Oompa Loompa songs. They were so long and boring, each done in a different nauseating music style. They were creative mini-music videos, but the length made them ultimately seem like time killers. So did the superfluous, predictable and unsatisfying backstory into Wonka’s childhood. It was about as painful as those massive braces.

But the factory does look nice. The whole film looks great. Wonka’s place is filled with vibrant, eye-popping colors, shapes and designs. Even Charlie’s house has an overtone of German expressionism to it. Burton knows how to direct and he certainly knows how to fill the screen and make the camera a subtle, unsung character. However, that doesn’t always mean it’ll produce a great film.

As such a huge fan of the original film, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” it would be impossible for me to avoid commenting on the differences and on how the two stack up side-by-side. The factories are almost identical, especially in the main room with the chocolate river. But this newer version is less creepy, sinister and psychedelic. Wonka seems to actually pity or feel bad about the kids. No one can come close to holding a candle to Gene Wilder, not even the brilliant Depp. Fewer rooms with fewer quirks combined with the fact that you know someone’s going down that massive hole in the middle of the nut gathering room makes this new factory less unpredictable and fun, too. There was less social commentary and fewer screwball moments. I’m a huge opponent of computer graphics and this film is laced with them. I hated seeing the kids come out of the factory at the end, as well.

I’m making the film out to be dreadful, when in reality it isn’t. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it didn’t completely suck. I actually rather enjoyed the beginning and was all set to change my negative mindset until the dull, boring factory gates opened and let all the fun out the front. Fans of the original will surely be disappointed not only to see that this movie has been made, but that it falls flat in all the key areas and truly makes this a Hollywood film thanks to the pointless flashbacks and father-son relationship fluff. Those new to the story will find a fun flick that’s worth watching, but certainly nothing to write home about.

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