Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (DVD)

== CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY ==

I HAD to love this film, let’s face it a combination of Johnny Depp’s acting (and let’s face it just to be able to look at him), Tim Burton’s directing and a film based on a book from the pen of the fantastic Roald Dahl made it a must watch.

I had always enjoyed the 1971 Gene Wilder film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, although it was based – like this one – on Charlie and ...
...the rights to the sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.


=== THE PLOT ===

I hardly think that there is any need to go into great deal about the plot – it is, I am sure, widely known by most people.

Willy Wonka owned the largest chocolate factory in the world. No one had been inside the factory in years, ever since he closed it down when industrial spies began to steal his secrets.
... more

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

I HAD to love this film, let’s face it a combination of Johnny Depp’s acting (and let’s face it just to be able to look at him), Tim Burton’s directing and a film based on a book from the pen of the fantastic Roald Dahl made it a must watch.

I had always enjoyed the 1971 Gene Wilder film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, although it was based – like this one – on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Roald Dahl actually hated the film and refused to sell the rights to the sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.

THE PLOT

I hardly think that there is any need to go into great deal about the plot – it is, I am sure, widely known by most people.

Willy Wonka owned the largest chocolate factory in the world. No one had been inside the factory in years, ever since he closed it down when industrial spies began to steal his secrets.
One day Willy Wonka decided to put a ‘golden ticket’ inside five of his Wonka chocolate bars. The lucky people who won these exclusive tickets would be allowed to tour the famous factory with one other person each.

Augustus Gloop, an obese German boy found the first ticket. Veruca Salt, a very spoiled English girl found the second ticket after her father bought cases and cases of bars, just to make sure that she did. Violet Beauregarde, a chewing gum champion found the third bar. Mike Teavee, an American boy who was addicted to video games, found the fourth ticket.
The fifth ticket eventually went to the eponymous character Charlie.
Charlie Bucket lived in a very small, shabby hose in London with his parents and four grandparents. The family were VERY poor, and it was a great hardship to buy the chocolate but when Charlie managed to find the last ticket he took his grandfather Joe, who had once worked at the factory, with him for the tour.

They saw many beautiful, amazing, strange and unusual things on the tour and some very weird things happened. Charlie, on this tour experiences the juiciest, sweetest, scrumptious and strangest day of his life – and he also learns a few less appetising things about his peers along the way.

THE FILM AND WHAT I THOUGHT

I am a massive fan of the incredible Roald Dahl and have read all his books many, many times. This film is a little different from the book and most who have read the book will start making comparisons, but personally I thought that it was more true to the book than the 1971 version, and I am sure that Dahl would have looked at this film far more favourably.

I also found it impossible not to compare this film with the earlier one, perhaps I shouldn’t have but I’m afraid I did.
The major difference that I did notice was that there was a lot more detail in the film about the eccentric Willy Wonka’s past, although I’m not too sure that I particularly liked that part of it; Willy Wonka’s fanatical Dentist father was played, in an admittedly good cameo role, by Christopher Lee.
These details were added to the film in the form of flashbacks, but they didn’t distract too much from the story.

Naturally the strange little Oompa Loompas, the only workers in the factory, had main roles in both films, but were very different and sang different songs in each film. These creatures were so much better in the second film, thanks mainly I think, to the wonders of CGI, they are all played by one actor, (the incredible Deep Roy) I just loved them raucously singing the gruesome songs, incidentally in this version they were the words as penned by Roald Dahl.)
I also loved the way that Tim Burton brought back some of Dahl’s wonderful darkness to the film that was removed for the 1976 adaptation, and let’s face it, if anyone could do justice to a typical Roald Dahl’s dark and menacing book it would be Burton. Think Dahl and I don’t think of a cheery man singing ‘Candy Man’ much more Dahl like is the spooky man with those super-white teeth and hilariously sinister but funny speech.
Technology has come along way since Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka. I’m convinced that Roald Dahl, who died in 1990, would have been enthralled at the wonderful chocolate world that Tim Burton created.
Everything Burton created in the film, from the derelict home of the Bucket family, to the toothpaste family where Charlie’s dad worked, to the Wonka Shop from Grandpa Joe's flashback and ,of course, to the vast variety of wonders in the factory itself , including the giant chocolate waterfalls, river of chocolate , Indian palaces, sugary candy trees and giant pink boats and the amazing sights seen whilst the glass elevator goes on its impressive journey, were incredible. They were all provided by the genius of Burton from a mixture of a wild and vivid imagination, fantastical sets and special effects.
Tim Burton has a reputation for creating astounding visuals in his films. ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ is certainly no exception. He creates the perfect environment for wacky Wonka’s factory, a place full of nut cracking squirrels and tricky teleporters. It’s a dangerous place for children, full of tongue in cheek justice and just desserts – pure magic.
I didn’t feel that the film was too long at 115 minutes; it kept my attention through out.

CAST

Helena Bonham Carter - Mrs. Bucket
Johnny Depp - Willie Wonka
James Fox - Mr. Salt
Jordan Fry - Mike Teavee
Adam Godley - Mr. Teavee
Freddie Highmore - Charlie Bucket
David Kelly - Grandpa Joe
Christopher Lee - Dr. Wonka
Missi Pyle - Mrs. Beauregarde
Annasophia Robb - Violet Beauregarde
Deep Roy - Oompa Loompa
Noah Taylor - Mr. Bucket
Franziska Troegner - Mrs. Gloop
Philip Wiegratz - Augustus Gloop
Julie Winter - Veruca Salt

I thought that all the actors are wonderful. Freddie Highmore is perfect as Charlie, his life wasn’t very good, but Charlie kept a good attitude and was happy with what he had t, Freddie played the role naturally and with a maturity that contrasted well with the mayhem surrounding. Helena Bonham Carter, as Charlie’s mother, and Noah Taylor as his father didn’t have a lot to do, but were both fine in their parts. David Kelly was in a few more scenes as Grandpa Joe.
The other four children were all superb in their roles – they all acted horribly, just as they should. Missi Pyle and James Fox, two of the parents, were extremely good as the Barbie-type mother (Pyle) and a classy pokerfaced millionaire father (Fox)
But the film belonged to the wonderful Johnny Depp. I thought that (although he kept reminding me of Michael Jackson) he was amazing in the part. He created a kooky character that was thoroughly believable. He used a unique voice for Willy and never slipped out of it. He played the role with so much expression that you could tell what he was thinking just by the look on his face. He also made the most out of every line , he also made me laugh frequently just by the looks he gave people at times. I realy think that Depp created an enchanting and memorable character in that of the crazy chocolatier.

DVD

We bought our copy of the DVD as soon as it was released, so at the highest price. It is now available on Amazon for around £3.

DVD DETAILS

Format: PAL
Language English
Number of discs: 1
Classification: 12
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: 14 May 2007
Run Time: 110 minutes
ASIN: B000QEIPXY

The extras on the DVD includes an "In-Movie Experience" with director Tim Burton as he takes you through the creative process behind the production of the film.

"Becoming Oompa-Loompa", shows how actor Deep Roy, was made into an army of Oompa Loompas.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Chocolate Dreams" is a short behind-the-scenes feature focusing on the general production of the film. ".

"Attack of the Squirrels" is a fantastic and shows the training of actual real-life squirrels for use in the "nut shelling" scene found in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

"The Fantastic Mr. Dahl" takes a short glimpse into the life of Roald Dahl.

CONCLUSION

I loved ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ It is a good family film that is worth seeing, especially for fans of Johnny Depp or Tim Burton films.
Even as a fan of the original book I enjoyed this film very much, which is usually not the case.
I personally thought that this film was fantastic in every way. The sets, the music, the humour and the fact that the original morals that Dahl wrote of are made clear to all;on top of all that, I find this film to be perfectly cast and thoroughly entertaining.
A film that you can watch over and over.
This may be a children’s film but with the collective genius of Burton, Depp and Dahl it appeals to all ages.

Of course it is a personal decision as to which film people prefer from the two - the 71 'Wonka' film is the only way a lot of people know this story, and many people who grew up with it will remain loyal to the saccharine sweetness of that film.
Burton’s "Charlie" is much more like of Dahl's dark and more grown up book. It’s the same story in each film, but each is one is quite different in their approaches and so, like chocolates, which one you prefer is a matter of taste. I think it is pretty obvious which chocolate I’m taking out of the box!!
 

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