Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Tim Burton made me very happy this time. The magic of the film lies solely in the stylisation and arrangement of each scene, and it doesn’t deserve to be part of the elite just because it’s divinely scored and looks beautiful, but because of its unadulterated joy of storytelling and visual experimentation simply cannot be resisted. Who else could build such a simple and sentimental story in such an engaging and creative way? Maybe only Jára Cimrman. 80% (05/07/2012)

The Burton - Elfman - Depp trio make this picture an original, typically Burton-like, screwy movie. It’s a family movie where mainly the adults in the audience do all the laughing, because Tim approached it.. Simply in his own way. One crazy idea follows another; total stylization; Depp’s Willy Wonka is somewhere between Michael Jackson and Marylin Manson and it is all accompanied by an absolutely madcap soundtrack by Danny Elfman. There is not much of a story; it’s more like a road movie traveling through this fairytale factory, with the center of attention in the form of Depp, but also Christopher Lee is certainly worth mentioning too. The rest of the cast are given no room at all, which is refreshing because the children’s roles are played nicely and aren’t annoying. The whole thing is “sweetened" by being a kind of ingenious parody on A Space Odyssey. ♫ OST score: 4/5 (19/08/2005)

Tim Burton ignores the darkness and goes far beyond the kitsch of opulent color to literally create a breathtaking world made from the sweetest ingredients. He does a great job with the exaggeration, and such an overly pathetic story about family cohesion is in fact not awkward, but rather endearing. Johnny Depp's eccentric acting is just as entertaining as the little Oompa-Loompas, whose songs may be a bit self-indulgent, but what isn't in this film? Burton exaggerated everything so beautifully that I ate it up completely. And I very much enjoyed it. (14/04/2006)

A breathtaking visual experience. The atmosphere of the entire film is pleasantly "sweet" and the moral messages are not surprisingly intrusive; on the contrary, they need not be restricted to the kids. :) For Burton, for Depp, for Elfman, for the feast for the eyes, and for some really hilarious jokes, 5 stars. (04/05/2009)

Tim Burton's version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (I'm ashamed to admit I haven't seen the 1971 film yet) is quite possibly the best adaptation of Roald Dahl's work. Burton's film, as is his way, is brimming with gorgeous (albeit at times very digital) visuals and beautiful sets. The driving force behind the whole story is Johnny Depp, who’s always good in the role of quirky oddballs, he manages to portray the goofy chocolate factory owner to perfection. I've never found myself liking Freddie Highmore, and even after many screening, that hasn't changed. The other actors are all well suited to their roles, even if they didn't have as much space – I was most impressed with Christopher Lee and the quartet of grandparents. Anyone who doesn't like Burton's style will probably suffer with Charlie, but I enjoyed this sweet excursion between the Oompa-Loompas, the squirrels and the whipped cream immensely. PS: “Everything in this room is eatable, even *I'm* eatable! But that is called ‘cannibalism’, my dear children, and is in fact frowned upon in most societies.” (22/10/2022)