media consumption

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I took two of my nephews to see this movie when they were in town a couple of weeks ago. I was a little worried that it might be a little too far over their almost 8 and almost 10 year-old heads, but they sat through the whole thing without even fidgeting and began talking about their favorite bits right after the movie ended, so that right there is the kid endorsement.

As far as my opinion is concerned: When first I heard they were doing a remake, I was a little afraid that they would water down the Wonka character, removing the creepy edge that Gene Wilder had brought to that role, but then I heard that Johnny Depp was cast in the role. And that Tim Burton was the director. Okay then, no worries there.

The story is essentially the same, though, with one important addition. Unlike the Wonka of the earlier movie (and of the book on which the movies are based), Depp's Wonka has a backstory. We are given a psychological profile that explains his obsession with chocolate and his misanthropic attitude. This Wonka is as much a child as the others and ends up learning his life-changing lesson from the innocent and morally pure Charlie.

This, of course, is a fairly common sensibility in the movies (and elsewhere) these days and the change doesn't bother me as much as it bothers some others. Burton's imagination makes up for a lot, though. I'm thinking that you'd have to be pretty cranky to let these changes affect your opinion of the movie.

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