Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Wasn't that Bad!

[Soviet Heavy]

Stemming from word of mouth, some films get a lot more flak than they deserve, I feel. One of the ones that bugs me the most is the Tim Burton version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I can understand why many people would take issue with it, but I've seen people condemn the film for merely existing when there was already the Gene Wilder classic.

The film isn't that bad. What's there to say that a person cannot enjoy both films on their own merits? Both of them take a lot of liberties with the source material, and both have their own interpretations on the story.

The film isn't that bad. Its a Tim Burton film, so its a love it or hate it affair, but it gets targeted more than any of his other films for bashing, which I don't get. If you want to rip on a bad Burton film, go ahead and tear apart Alice in Wonderland. It is far worse than Charlie.

Why does this film get all the flak?

 

[Legion]

Everything gets flak. It's just that we only really notice it when it's something that we happen to like, or the flak is excessive.

 

[rileyrulesu]

no one said it was, just not as good as the original, it was somewhat forettable, and it's been a few years now, no one cares.

 

[Zhougdog]

It is really bad, I had to turn it off due to Johnny Depp's character, and that horrible kid actor.

 

[artanis_neravar]

First Alice in Wonderland was awesome. Second everyone lives, and Charlie is painted to be the perfect person making no mistakes at all

 

[tjs09]

I usually compare it to the original film. There may be a book out there somewhere, but who still reads?

Compared to that, it's a pretty good film (to me). I can't even explain why I like it, I just do (this happens with alot of Burton films).

But after seeing Jim Carrey in Unfortunate Events, I think he would've made a more entertaining Wonka. Just my .02.

 

[Dags90]

I object to it on the grounds that it portrays Willie Wonka in a positive light

It portrays Wonka in a sympathetic light, not a positive one. There's a pretty serious difference.

I prefer the original.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

It totally sucked.

Wonka went from an eccentric, slightly crazy guy in the original film, to a dark, emo pratt with an annoying voice and daddy issues.

 

[WiMoTj]

It is really bad

It totally sucked.

Wonka went from an eccentric, slightly crazy guy in the original film, to a dark, emo pratt with an annoying voice and daddy issues.

QFT

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

Yes. Yes it was.

even if your just holding it up as it's own movie and not against the original.

Depp was an irritating manchild that wouldn't shut up, Charlie gave the blandest and most saintly performance ever, the whole story about Wonka's daddy issues and him teleporting his house just made no sense and the songs were short and forgettable.

The only thing that was great was the art style, but saying Tim Burton has good art styles is like saying the Pope might have be a little powerful.

That was a terrible, terrible movie.

I do agree that [i/]some[/i] movies get more flak than they deserve. This is not one of them.

 

[sivin]

I liked it. Then again, maybe it's only because I do a disturbingly good Johnny Depp Willy Wonka impression...

 

[Scarim Coral]

I didn't think it was that bad, I mean I still prefer the original but it got some merit. I even liked the updated songs and humour. I think I read somewhere that parta of it were accurate to the book (the squirrel getting the nuts out) although I haven't read the book for ages to prove this.

 

[KeyMaster45]

no one said it was, just not as good as the original, it was somewhat forettable, and it's been a few years now, no one cares.

Yeah, pretty much this. The soundtrack was actually pretty impressive in my opinion, the oompa loompa songs coulda done with work though.

 

[Ashcrexl]

i've noticed that no one has mentioned tim burton's signature fairy tale style yet. that was my favorite thing about this adaptation and all of his best films. that one scene in which verruca's dad tasks his entire factory to open up candy bars sounds unbearably mundane on paper, but in burton's hands, just looks... amazing. and johnny depp's character, despite being annoying was also hella fun to watch.

yeah, i loved this version.

 

[KuwaSanjuro]

The Gene Wilder version of Willy Wonka was out before I was born but this was the Willy Wonka that I saw really young and grew up with, that's why I didn't really like Burton's version. Sometimes its unfair to make comparisons but I think a comparison between a film based on a novel and another film based on the same novel, they should be compared, and because I grew up with it Gene Wilder will always be Willy Wonka to me. Sorry long post but I think it explains the point that you have a much greater adoration for something if you grew up with it but that doesn't mean your not open to a new version take Street Fighter, I loved 2 but I feel in everyway 4 is a lot better than 2. Again sorry for long post.

 

[manythings]

Roald Dahl stormed out of the premier of the original Charlie and the Chocolate factory. If he'd seen Tim Burton's version I'd say a hitman would've become involved.

That I hate about is the that Tim Burton is a one trick pony, like American McGee, and the actual story of Charlie and the Chocolate was pretty fucking dark already juxtaposed with Roald Dahl's bright, colourful world. It's pretty damn clear that time burton never even understood the fucking book.

i've noticed that no one has mentioned tim burton's signature fairy tale style yet. that was my favorite thing about this adaptation and all of his best films. that one scene in which verruca's dad tasks his entire factory to open up candy bars sounds unbearably mundane on paper, but in burton's hands, just looks... amazing. and johnny depp's character, despite being annoying was also hella fun to watch.

yeah, i loved this version.

It was meant to be mundane. They were working en masse in a factory, the whole point of the sequence was to show how stupidly kowtowing to a child will ruin you. With regard to johnny depp capering about like a child molester... how was that appropriate or even sane?

 

[Projo]

Tim Burton is a hack. If you're a fan of his work, and you're not a teenage girl, you're not the target audience.

There, I said it.