Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore,) a poor and simple, but kind, boy whose imagination and love of chocolate alongside his loyalty to his family create enough wealth to sustain him, finds within a chance piece of chocolate a golden ticket and the chance to tour Willie Wonka's (Johnny Depp) Chocolate Factory. WIth the chance at a special reward, Charlie and his companions are tested as they tour the factory together. And, meanwhile, Willie Wonka recalls his childhood and finds he's missing something.
Usually Tim Burton is known for his uses of the many shades of the color black as evidenced in Sleepy Hollow, Nightmare Before Christmas and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He's known for his twisted sense of humor and for the brilliant tour he gives into the realm of darkness. But here, it's color that reigns richly from the costumes to the sets and each Oompa Loompa sequence. Most memorable for the set designers is the candy garden. And the characters are well fleshed out by their acting counterparts, so beautifully cast. Not to mention the complete joy that is the compilation of Johnny Depp, Tim Burton and Danny Elfman (architect of each of the Oompa Loompa musical numbers.) Their performances and story craftsmanship apply an agelessness which will stand as excellent for years to come. And this three-way marriage is so poetic and perfect that the other elements (especially the multi-facial Deep Roy as the Oompa Loompas) make for a great family inside this great family film.
I am impressed also by the social commentary as each child succumbs to their vices, reaping appropriate comeuppance as we travel through the Chocolate Factory. The stage for Agustus' gluttony is equally horrific and cartoonish allowing an audience of any age to understand completely. And each number, wickedly performed by Deep Roy's Oompa Loompas, speaks with a cautionary voice and strikes a chord entertaining us and teaching us at the same moment. And this is why the story will remain ageless.
****
In: Edward Fox
OUT: Helena Bonham Carter
Coming Soon: Corpse Bride
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