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 enlarge | Director: Tim Burton
Actors: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $2.37
You Save: $12.61 (84%)
New (81) Used (111) Collectible (4) from $2.37
Avg. Customer Rating:  489 reviews
Sales Rank: 4824
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 115
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: WARD59337D
ISBN: 1419802305
UPC: 012569593374
EAN: 9781419802300
ASIN: B000BB1MI2
Theatrical Release Date: July 15, 2005
Release Date: November 8, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 No morals here. Just an explosion of Tim Burton cliche's and colors December 8, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Inevitably it's going to be compared to the 1971 musical which while a classic on its own, was indeed very little like the book.
I only read the book as a child and I can't remember much except the scritchy little drawings and the fact that Squirrels attacked Veruca Salt instead of Geese (though they didn't attack her, she just fell down the chute).
If this movie is close to the book, then I must have read a wrong version of the book, or else the 1971 musical is an improvement on what must have been a kiddie-snuff tale, like Dahl's "The Twits" only with innocent people instead of evil spouses.
What we have here is yet another film for Tim Burton to delve into his cliche's (or perhaps fetishes) of people so insanely pale, pasty, and white they're either the living dead or a racist caricature of British people. Absolutely no one looks remotely human save for Christopher Lee and Freddie Highmore. Everyone else has been made-up, airbrushed, and photoshopped worse than a Vogue or Playboy photoshoot.
While some may have hated them, I thought the Oompa Loompa's performances were the best part of the movie. Although they were apparently supposed to be based on the songs in the book with moral messages, I couldn't hear the lyrics clearly enough so whatever messages contained were wasted, even more so by the insanely escalating displays of CGI frilly-ness and confetti and effects. All substance was lost behind effects and music.
While the story is indeed more about Willy Wonka and Charlie Bucket, the 1971 musical (again with this) managed to make the other kids and their parents interesting characters in themselves who were memorable enough to become fodder for many spoofs by entertainers over the years. Here, they're just cannon fodder.
Indeed like other reviewers say, the kids aren't taught anything except "YOU DIE NOW!" and then put into situations like a cartoonish parody of Jigsaw's traps ("Saw"), be it Violet Beauregard not only inflating with juice, but doing so so that she becomes large as a building, which would/should kill any normal person, and brings back fond (ie, horrifying) memories of the trailers for "Slither" featuring a woman being blown up so large, she pops and explodes in a huge wave of blood and gore. You pretty much know the rest. None of the kids do anything to warrant these attempted murders beyond doing what kids normally do. Example: whereas in the 1971 musical (AGAIN), Wonka tells Violet not to chew the gum, first seriously, then groaning and nonchalantly, in this version he doesn't say anything to stop her except to look like a famous pop singer. Veruca runs off to look at the pretty squirrels, and Wonka intentionally stalls in opening up the gate to let her father out to free her.
Then there's Willy Wonka, or as everyone who saw the movie calls him, Michael Jackson: the Parody Spoof. Burton's fetish for the pasty and pale runs roughshod on Johnny Depp to a point where he is completely white as the background of the text I am writing this review on now. Add his high-pitched voice and childish (rather than childlike) behavior and his complete and painfully awkward behavior around children and it seems like he's been court-ordered not to get too close to children or else...
His reactions/behavior to the children as well is highly childish, rather than like a father-figure as in the 1971 musical ( ). Example: in the musical, whenever Mike Teevee asks too many questions or annoys Wonka with his talking, Wonka has some clever little thing to say, such as "I'm a bit deaf in this ear, please speak up next time" or "I'm sorry, all questions must be submitted later in writing". Here, Wonka only stares at him awkwardly, occasionally tells him he's mumbling (when he's not), and at the pinnacle of it, just freaks out going "MUMBLIIIIING!!! MUMBLING!" like he's a sociopath.
An entirely Burton-made subplot involves Wonka having issues with his father, a dentist, which causes not only flashbacks to very painfully executed scenes, but a demonization of his father played to odd and scary perfection by Christopher Lee, to a point where you wonder if perhaps Dr. Wonka abused his child. These flashbacks bring the movie's momentum to horrendous stops as Wonka suddenly freezes up and goes catatonic to have them, then emerges frozen-stiff and twitching, until someone wakes him up.
Then the entire thing comes apart at the end where Charlie wins the factory, and asks the crucial question of Wonka; can his family come with him.
In the 1971 musical (HAHA AGAIN), Wonka says of course they can. Here, Wonka says of course they can....'t.
And with that, Wonka goes from odd mentor, confused and befuddled father figure, to an orphan [...] child who sprouted into wealth yet does not know love.
In the end, Charlie proves to be the bigger man by rejecting Wonka's proposal because he would rather stay in the loving embraces of his poor family than live a cold, heartless life of decadence with Wonka in his factory. And Wonka cannot even begin to understand why.
And that is where the movie comes off its hinges and dies broke and alone in a gutter, as the pivotal mastermind of the film becomes nothing more than a befuddled, spoiled, loveless little brat who tries to kill off four children just to make a new permanent playmate.
At the end, Wonka still learns nothing, but finally cedes to Charlie's request by moving the entire family into his factory, and culminates in a dinner scene so dismally awkward and painfully executed that just one viewing makes me feel like less of a person for having viewed it. No one learned anything here; Charlie proved to be the true adult here, smart and mature enough to put his family above riches and wealth.
And still, Willy Wonka the Michael Jackson Impersonator cannot even begin to understand why.
 Fanciful and fantastic November 20, 2008
This one captures the magic of Dahl's book perfectly. Any kid would love the imagery. The original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" has plenty of imagination, but there are moments where it gets overly tedious. For instance, it took way too long to get into the factory itself. Then there were the unnecessary musical interludes ("Cheer Up Charly"? Puh-lease.)
In this new iteration, however, you will notice that they get to the factory as soon as possible. There are not even any songs until they finally arrive at the door of the factory. This helps further differentiate the imaginative, fantastical air of the factory from the monotonous drudgery of the "real world". When we first watched it in the theater (I went with my brother, his wife and their [then] two daughters) my brother admitted that he was so surprised that they didn't have a long unnecessary song in the scene where Grandpa Joe gets out of bed for the first time in years. The scene played out better for that simple omission.
Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy the Gene Wilder version, but this one has a charm and energy that is simply frenetic, while the other one got a bit too caught up in justifying certain aspects of the story-telling.
Wonderful movie. Imaginative and colorful. Even the elements that were added to the story (i.e. Willy Wonka's relationship with his father) have a very Roald Dahl feel to them.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Widescreen Edition) November 12, 2008
This was a birthday gift for my 5-yr old granddaughter. She loves it! I would recommmend it to anyone!
 Dark Chocolate October 22, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This a borderline disgrace of the original Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. It's as if someone zapped the soul out of every character in this film. Johnny Depp seemed like he was on vicodin or something. One minute he was up, the next down. His character went in and out of personalities. Most of his jokes fell flat after their delivery, leaving the viewer with an uncomfortable CREEPY feeling. His character of Willy Wonka was a cross between the church lady from Saturday Night Live and Jack from Will and Grace. Does that tell you anything? Some of the dialogue was almost identical to the original, the only difference is they edited out all the wittiness that made the original so special. All of the soul, intellect and attitude were missing from all of the characters portrayal's in this film. There was an all across the board lack of emotion that resonated like a plague throughout the entire film. Some of the special affects were cute but even the sets seemed to lack the magical quality of the original Willy Wonka. The musical numbers with the oompa loompas were surreal and did give a campy feel to the movie but overall this is a totally different movie than the original. It's very difficult to compare the 2 of them but I will say the first one is heartfelt and magical. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a sour imitation, a souless, dour, unfunny tragedy. A sign of the times of what kind of world we're living in now.
Sick and disgusting September 14, 2008
2 out of 9 found this review helpful
This is a piece of excrement. Dark and dismal is the best to describe it. It is stupid, vulgar, and believe me, as a person who grew up on Caligula and other porn, this piece of filth is not worth buying.
Anyone who favors this over the earlier version is morally inept. I am ASTONISHED Disney Channel shows this.
No redeeming social value. None at all.
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