Movie # 90 -- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Title: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Director: Tim Burton

Release Year: 2005

Plot Summary: A young boy named Charlie (Freddie Highmore) wins a trip to the most magical candy factory in the world, run by mad genius Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp).

Thoughts: My friend Bart Maas and I used to talk about how sweet it would be if this movie ever got made with Tim Burton (Big Fish, Edward Scissorhands, Batman...) directing and Johnny Depp as WIlly Wonka. Ladies and Gentlemen, we got our wish.

Johnny Depp is absolutely bizzare and endearing as the child-like Willy Wonka. Precious few other actors working today could have provided such a performance (maybe Jim Carrey, and that's about it). To say that his performance is more characture than character is not an understatement, but it works here. And what more can be said about the talent of young Freddie Highmore? You forget that this kid is acting: that's how good he is and among such giants as Christopher Lee and Helena Bonham Carter, that is no small feat. Each one of the other children is also fabulously cast, but Julia Winter is most fantastic as Veruca Salt. She (eerily) even looks the part.

The only complaints that I have (and they are small) are the musical numbers (they aren't as endearing as the ones in the 1971 version starring Gene Wilder) and how "reeled-in" the dialogue felt from time to time. But that's just nitpicking.

Rating (0-10): 8.6

recommendations: Easily 2005's best "family film". See it.