Word: wonka
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When you return, however, you will be satisfied to see proof that remakes (and this movie is, for the most part, a remake of the 1971 “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”) occasionally succeed...
...months now, a growing contingent has been whining that Burton had no right to ruin a classic. Having spent my own formative years entranced by the catchy, kitschy tunes of “Willy Wonka” I wasn’t alien to this argument. Note to Wonka-snobs: Let. It. Go. It is possible for two movies with the same plot to coexist. The trick is not to recreate, but to reinvent...
...exceptionally strong cast and a few more twists quickly made you forget the original. Charlie is still too saintly, but Freddie Highmore—who should have garnered an Oscar nomination for his heartbreaking performance in “Finding Neverland,” also starring Johnny Depp (Wonka)—has the requisite Dickensian face and sweetly longing eyes. And the optimism of Grandpa Joe, played by excellent character actor David Kelly (“Waking Ned Devine”) nicely balances the humorous cynicism of Grandpa George...
Depp, of course, is the star attraction. If any concerns are raised by the original film, they would have to be Gene Wilder’s deep Wonka imprint on the minds of a generation. Depp manages to take an equally bizarre, but entirely different, take on the character. While the film aids this development by adding a lil’ Wonka childhood flashback (featuring B-movie stalwart Christopher Lee as his father, a candy-loathing dentist), Depp’s delivery, as always...
Instead, Depp delivers a believable portrayal of a man who couldn’t quite grow up. His juvenile retorts to the children—the funniest lines of the movie—highlight his childlike hostility. While Wilder’s Wonka was randomly quirky, Depp’s Wonka is a socially inept recluse trying desperately to conduct the special tour of his factory the right...