Well bomberesque, having seen the film, I think you are spot on. I haven't really got anything to add in the way of a review in fact! More reviews like this please!
spoodie wrote:I'm with Pete on this one. I really like Burton and Depp is pretty good but their Willy Wonka was a bit meh.
The Gene Wilder version always seemed really camp, and apparently Dahl hated it because it wasn't dark enough. The Burton version was closer to the book and I preferred the Burtonesque sets and theme. I also loved Depp's Wonka - he seems to have been based a lot on Michael Jackson, which amuses me even now, and the way he seems so disinterested in the kids is brilliant. Gene Wilder always seemed mischievous but canny, whereas Depp seems slighly baffled and just hanging on to his sanity.
I've not seen the older version for many a year and therefore can't compare the two, but I loved the Burton version. I'm the first to admit that I'm a bit of a Burton fanboy, but I think that his style for this kind of film is perfect, since he does the silly comedy bits to it while retaining the darker elements too. I think that Depp's portrayal of a Wonka who is lost in his own world and oblivious to much outside of it is great, and seems more fitting than a more calculating or sane character.
Just watched this (god bless ye oscar season) again, awesome (and totally correct) review there mr. bomber.
Oh, and I'm with the people who are right on this, the burton/depp Charlie and the chocolate factor was far superior to the gene wilder one, but I like both.
The ending is a bit odd, certainly not a traditional Hollywood ending. It's harder to put across on film (as opposed to the book) but the most important character is the sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones); take note of what he's saying and it'll make more sense.
