Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Film Review

Tim Burton’s version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is everything you could possibly want it to be; the only disappointment is not being able to taste the chocolate! The enchanting script and witty humour keep you entertained throughout, and Johnny Depp – who stars as Willy Wonka – is the icing on top of the cake.

The other characters are portrayed as lovable and sweet or amusingly outrageous and rotten. The scenes and are shockingly elaborate and ingeniously inventive throughout the film, making it enthralling and enjoyable for all the family.

Charlie Bucket is a sweet and imaginative boy and from the beginning a connection can be formed between Willy Wonka, as these characteristics are evident in both of them. Burton has managed to make the audience therefore starts anticipating and guessing what is to come in the film. Charlie lives with his parents and grandparents in a run down house – his family are not rich, powerful or well connected. Charlie is a great lover of chocolate, but his circumstances mean he only receives one bar annually on his birthday. Justice takes it’s course, and Charlie wins the chance to visit Mr Willy Wonka in his chocolate factory, where “nobody ever goes in, and nobody ever comes out…”
Four other children and Charlie enter the factory, along with their guardians. It is ironic that the that the four "bad nuts" in the film are all as relevant today as they were forty years ago, when Dahl first wrote his book, and as Burton does not change their characteristics gives me the idea that he could be trying to make a point with this too.

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"Accidents" happen on a guided tour of the factory by Mr Wonka, leading to children loosing their chance to win the final prize, and it incorporates comedy for the audience. The story unravels in a simple, yet effective manner, but to find out what happens at the end you’ll have to see it yourself!

The scenery can only be described as utterly magical. The secret world of chocolate waterfalls, dancing oompa loompas and dreamlike glass elevators is wonderfully realized, so it almost seems real. The costumes of both Willy Wonka and the oompa loompa’s tick the box completely, by ...

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The scenery in the film fits in with the fantasy theme, however nothing is unrealistic. The nut room, for example, is a prime example of realism, intertwined with fantasy, as it incorporates squirrels nibbling at nuts – like reality – and the cleverly inventive method of using them to decide whether the nuts are good or bad – which is unrealistic. The other rooms in the factory are similarly inventive and yet realistic. This technique used by Burton makes the audience believe and love every action and location shown in the film.

Johnny Depp creates a character which is original, however we still get a feel for the eccentric, lovable character from Dahl’s book, without feeling it is simply a copy of an original. The character is imaginative and fits well in his habitat of the Chocolate Factory. Burton also shows us a side of Wonka which allows reality to be retained in the film though, as at several points during the film it shows us flashbacks of his troubled childhood. He also appears physically unable to express the word “parents”. This conveys a sense of reality too, as even though he is an amazing inventor of chocolate he is not capable of everything. It gives portrays to the audience that nobody is perfect, which is suitable for the target audience of children.

Freddie Highmore plays Charlie alongside Depp, 13-year-old provides its soul. Every viewer falls in love with him the minute he appears on the screen, and his generosity and love he shows towards his family makes him all the more appealing. His acting skills cannot be doubted, as he portrays perfectly the role that Dahl and Burton have created.

The Oompa Loompas star in all the musical numbers, with composer Danny Elfman borrowing motifs from old Hollywood classics. Musical numbers were also a part of the book, and Dahl's clever lyrics are sung and danced to by the Oompa Loompas (Deep Roy). Each song has a moral, and the way in which these morals are conveyed in a light, quirky manner make the film enjoyable, but still educational for the target audience of children.

Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is another fabulous version of the original book and film. The plot is imaginative and exciting, and keeps you hooked from beginning to end. The film was fully worth the £6.99 I paid for this film, and I will get good value from it, as I plan to watch it again in the future. The film is full of realistic ideas intertwined with fantasy, and the target audience’s requirements are met as there is a mixture of comedy, morals and imagination. I fully enjoyed this film and would definitely recommend it to other chocolate lovers!