Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

            There are certain things Tim Burton should never do. For instance, he should never again attempt to direct a movie featuring an iconic comic book character. Neither should he tackle a remake when the original movie starred none other than Charlton Heston. He’s simply out of his league. However, give the man a script with just enough edginess to make a normal audience slightly uncomfortable, allow him to cast his dynamic duo—Johnny Depp and Helena Bohnam Carter—and the man will produce (er, direct) miracles.

            Roald Dahl’s books have a certain indefinable element that can only be understood when you consider who the man was. This was the author who, when his kids had sleepovers, would march them all down to stand under a bridge at midnight, and tell them ghost stories as the trains thundered overhead. Most parents would probably prefer that he wouldn’t have that strange way with storytelling; yet without it, his stories would be so much less than what they are.

            Tim Burton is able to see that element and place it in a corner of every scene. The audience can’t really point it out with any accuracy, but they know it’s there, adding that essence of Dahl to his beloved stories. The “original” Willy Wonka (from the 1971 movie) was not the character from the novel; it was Gene Wilder in a purple tophat. In his novel, Roald Dahl presented an eccentric, creative man with limited social skills and the energy of a toddler. Gene Wilder’s portrayal was that of a man who was pretending to be all these things in order to make the point at the end.

            Johnny Depp, on the other hand, embodies more of the character from the page. True, he is a bit creepier than the Willy Wonka from the book, but his performance adds even more depth to a unique and fun character. Freddie Heighmore, as Charlie, is able to hold his own against the formidable Mr. Depp. The rest of the cast does a fantastic job of filling in the rest of the scenes. I love seeing Missy Pile in any role, and David Kelly as Grandpa Joe was a delight.

            The book is, in itself, a good story. Unfortunately, it contains one of those plots that has been talked about so often that it falls a little flat on the page. Since there is no “litmus test” where Charlie has to prove he’s worthy of the Chocolate Factory, beyond merely outlasting the other children, the end seems rather anticlimactic. However, it is seldom appropriate to watch the movie and never read the book. Etiquette kindly asks that you peruse the pages before sitting in front of the screen.