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Charlie
and the
Chocolate Factory
Genre: Family Fantasy/Comedy
Rated: PG
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, Helena Bonham
Carter, David Kelly, Noah Taylor, Annasophia Robb,
Missi Pyle, Christopher Lee, Deep Roy
Released by: Warner Bros.
In
Short: Tim Burton's eye-popping vision of
Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory is a wonderfully
unforgettable ride for the whole family to love. |
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Deliciously
Demented
A
Chocolate Treat for the Young and Old
By
Jenny Peters
Whenever
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton get together, very interesting
things happen. Think "Edward Scissorhands,"
"Ed Wood," "Sleepy Hollow," and now,
happily, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,"
their wildly imaginative take on the classic Roald Dahl
children's novel. A winning blend of visually fantastic
moments, comical catastrophes, and brilliant satire, the
film is sure to please candy-loving kids and adults alike.
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Burton's
slightly twisted sensibilities are an ideal marriage to
Dahl's dark tale of greedy children who meet their match
in Willy Wonka, a candy-making genius and recluse who
opens his fabulous factory to five lucky (or unlucky,
in some cases) winners of a Golden Ticket. The kids are
perfectly cast, especially Freddie Highmore, who plays
Charlie, the one child who isn't horrid. His performance
is completely natural and believable, and centers the
movie as wackiness ensues around him. David Kelly as his
spry old grandfather also gives a winning turn, and Christopher
Lee's demented dentist is truly creepy and slightly scary.
But
it is Johnny Depp that makes the film a true delight.
With his pale skin, Prince Valiant bob, Chiclet smile,
and weird voice, his Willy Wonka is an unforgettable blend
of genius, psychosis and hilarity. It's a characterization
that keeps everyone giggling as the fantastical tale unfolds,
and long afterward in memory.
And
let's not forget the Oompa Loompas, the tiny tribe that
staffs the Chocolate Factory. All are played by Deep Roy
via the magic of CGI, and—without spoiling the surprise—some
of their sequences are the best moments in the movie,
alone worth the price of admission.
But
it really is the whole movie, the completely clever, wild-eyed
vision from the bizarre brain of Tim Burton, that makes
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" such a truly
terrific movie for both children and adults. And don't
miss this one in the theater, for the big-screen visuals
are just amazing and wonderful, well worth the trip to
the multiplex, or even better, the IMAX.
(Updated
01/21/08 NJ) |
