|
|
|
 |
Reviews |
 |
Source:
rec.art.movies.reviews newsgroup
Rating:
 
|
If you were old enough to remember the original or you have seen it on
DVD recently this remake might leave you feeling kind of flat, like it
did me. This Tim Burton release although 34 years younger than the
original just didn't do it for me. Johnny Depp was 'good', the rotten
kids performances were practically clones of the original actors, and
Charlie was humble enough but something was missing. I have thought
about it for 2 days now and I just can't seem to put my finger on it.
The effects were better than top notch and the direction was masterful
so it had to be the story - It just doesn't work in today's culture. We
are too self absorbed and oblivious to other peoples problems, not that
we don't deserve to be but this remake is either 15 years too late or
about 10 years too early, IMHO.
Plot time; Charlie Bucket (Highmore) is a poor kid that lives in a shack
with his loser parents and his 4 worthless, bed-ridden grandparents
somewhere in England. I call his parents losers because dad is so broke
he can't afford to buy his kid anything except a candy bar once a year,
and Mom just sits at home making water soup all day... BIG LOSERS! All
this kid wants is a house filled with love and an occasional sugar fix
and his parents make him live in a shack with no roof, WTF??? Do you
know a single kid that will relate to this character? If you do, don't
feel bad they won't see the movie anyway... they live in a cave or mud
hut and were not at all the target demographic so enjoy your lives
without regret - I know I do. Lost my train again; Charlie hears rumor
of the chocolate factory in town reopening for one day only, but the
only way to get invited is to find one of 5 golden tickets that have
been sent out by chocolateer Willy Wonka (Depp).
Of course the first 4 tickets go to undeserving brats with parents who
worked hard, and made something of themselves and don't make it a point
to remind the rest of the world to feel sorry for them because they live
in a shack! We of course are supposed to hate these children and their
parents and root for 'poor old' Charlie and his wrinkled Grandpa. Do you
see why we can't relate to this story anymore? He gets the 5th ticket
and goes on the tour, blah, blah, blah... etc, etc, etc.
Well I won't bore you anymore with the heavy handed guilt associated
with this movie; I will just remind you that if you liked the other one
you were younger and had no understanding of certain core concepts; The
biggest one of all is that you get what you earn, not what you deserve.
And, if you do see this movie and feel sorry and wish you were Charlie,
move out of your moms basement and get a job, have someone tell you to
share what you worked so hard for then tell me how you feel. Bet it is a
different conversation. Damn it lost my train again!
Nothing blew up, No one caught a bullet trying to disarm a nuclear
weapon on an asteroid and I never once heard anyone say 'I'll Be Back'.
So, in short it didn't satisfy my blood lust Or, just plain old lust for
that matter. I gave it 3 stars because I saw the kids liked it, Depp was
more than a little creepy and Burton was awesome as usual but if I were
a single guy with no kids I would avoid this movie like the plague. Go
see something with breast's in it, I promise you will smile more.
By : JC Edwards (www.moviesforguys.com)
|
|
Source:
rec.art.movies.reviews newsgroup
Rating:
|
It's always intrigued me how filmmakers can be inspired by the same
literary work yet interpret it so differently. Tim Burton's take
is 180-degrees from "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" (1971)
with Gene Wilder warbling the Anthony Newley-Leslie Bricusse score.
Both campy films are based on Roald Dahl's 1964 children's story
revolving around five children who win a guided tour of Willy Wonka's
chocolate factory, but that's where the similarity ends.
Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore of "Finding Neverland") is an
ordinary lad who lives in a tiny, crumbling hut. He's poor but
blessed with a loving family (Noah Taylor, Helena Bonham Carter,
David Kelly of "Waking Ned Devine"). His basic kindness and decency
set him apart from the other spoiled brat "winners" - and it's
Charlie, not Willy Wonka, who propels the plot.
Despite the fact that he doesn't sing a note, Johnny Depp's maniacally
mischievous candyman bears a darkly creepy, even sinister resemblance
to Michael Jackson - with a freaky masklike face, perfect teeth,
black Prince Valiant hair, dandy clothes and latex gloves. Screenwriter
John August ("Big Fish") invents a sociopathic Wonka backstory,
involving his strict dentist father (Christopher Lee).
And the cocoa-crazed Oompa-Loompas are all played by Deep Roy, whose
4' 4" height is digitally shrunk to 30". Roy performs the bizarre,
yet hilarious musical numbers.
Not only does Tim Burton's dazzling, inventive visuality run rampant,
particularly with a squadron of nut-cracking squirrels, but he pays
homage to choreographer Busby Berkeley and films like "2001: A Space
Odyssey" and "Planet of the Apes."
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory" is a weirdly wonderful 8. Surreal sweets are here!
By : Susan Granger
|
 |
Featured Posters |
|
|
