I'm Running Away to Switzerland to Become a Chocolatier

I should probably pick Belgium, actually.

My daddy took me to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory today and boy was it good. I love all things Johnny Depp and Tim Burton anyway (they have another movie coming out soon!), but this was still so much fun (in spite of the average age of those in the theater being approximately 13, and only so high because there were adults present). Depp's Wonka had a fair share of Pee-Wee Herman in him (which makes sense, with Burton directing and all) and made me think of a children's tv show host who is always in character but doesn't actually like or know what to do with children. It's not really that much like the Gene Wilder version (directed by Mel Stuart)- there's a whole subplot of Wonka past added on, and I missed hero Charlie's "fall from grace" (in the 71 movie, Charlie and Grandpa disobey Wonka in the scene with the bubbles, but are never caught). Instead, there's a nice little theme about family and the incomparable Christopher Lee gets to be Wonka's dad and one man named Deep Roy plays 165 or so Oompa-Loompas. There are also trained squirrels, which are much cooler than gold-egg-laying geese.
The internet tells me that Wonka's backstory was written specifically for the film, and I rather like it. Surprisingly, Burton's movie isn't as dark as the "family" version- Wonka's not quite so malicious, just incredibly confused. Don't get me wrong- there are moments that make it seem that Wonka was planning on harming some of the children, but it comes off as more an Oompa-Loompa plot that poor innocent Wonka got somehow attached to.
Overall, I'd suggest not really comparing it to the 71 version of the same story- the names may be the same, but you'll enjoy both much more if you keep them entirely seperate in your mind.

I cannot wait for Corpse Bride!

Gender: 57% female.