Stars: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, Helena Bonham-Carter, David Kelly, Noah Taylor, James Fox, Deep Roy, Missi Pyle, Christopher Lee, Anna Sophia Robb

Director: Tim Burton

Summary: A mysterious chocolate factory has been closed for 15 years, yet it continues to produce and ship candy all over the world. When a contest promises a tour of the plant to the lucky finders of five golden tickets hidden inside wrappers, no one is more excited than Charlie Bucket, an impoverished boy whose family lives mere steps from the factory. Though he can barely afford even one candy bar, fate intervenes, and Charlie finds the last golden ticket.

Who better to bring Roald Dahl's adored children's story to life than the mastermind behind inventive films like EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and BEETLEJUICE? From Tim Burton's opening shot against Danny Elfman's eerie score this CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is recognisably darker than the Mel Stuart-directed 1971 version starring Gene Wilder. Though the mysterious chocolate factory has been closed for 15 years, it continues to produce and ship candy all over the world. When a contest promises a tour of the plant to the lucky finders of five golden tickets hidden inside wrappers, no one is more excited than Charlie Bucket, an impoverished boy whose family lives mere steps from the factory. Though he can barely afford even one candy bar, fate intervenes, and Charlie finds the last golden ticket. Joined at the gates by a group of despicable brats named Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, Augustus Gloop, and Mike Teavee, Charlie and his Grandfather venture inside proprietor Willy Wonka's delightful factory for a wild adventure. Each room is a feast for the eyes, and more importantly the taste buds a sugar-coated dreamland where everything is edible. One by one, however, the children meet unfortunate fates, until only Charlie remains in the company of Wonka and his curiously small workers, the Oompa Loompas. Sporting a severe bob, and talking in a high-pitched voice, Depp makes his Wonka even weirder than Wilder's. While Burton adds some amusing contemporary touches (like the musical Oompa Loompa routines), and an elaborate back story, he also preserves the charm of the original book. Overall, Burton's visual innovation succeeds in capturing the vividness of a child's imagination but whether this version trumps the beloved '71 film is for viewers to decide.

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Average User Rating:

Reviewed by: Deb
Posted on November 9, 2005 10:43 PM

The whole family fell under the spell of this film, with Johnny Depp as we'd never seen him before - not in heart-throb mode. We knew what was going to happen, but the special effects were so good that this may have added to the excitement, with the anticipation of the next treat keeping us literally, on the edge of our seats. My 11 year old son & friend enjoyed it so much, they went to see it twice - high praise, when they could have seen another film to add to their summer collection tally.

Reviewed by: lmacdon2@student.ednet.ns.ca
Posted on December 7, 2005 6:51 PM

This movie was great, even better than the first. It was funny yet they still kept it kind of creepy. This movie is perfect for the whole family and I could watch it over and over again.

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Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Becoming An Oompa Loompa, Attack Of The Squirrels, Fantastic Mr Dahl, Interactive Oompa Loompa Dance, Interactive The Inventing Machine, Interactive Search For The Golden Ticket, Audio Described
Subtitles:	English
Year:	2005
Release Date:	October 23, 2006
Runtime:	110 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 059338
Keywords:	Charlie, Family, Comedy, Chocolate, Fantasy, Factory, Adventure
Genre:	Family