Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Reactions

Hey guys,
just got back from the visual treat that was Charlie and The chocolate factory and wanted to share my thoughts. Excellent film in my opinion......but not really for kids as it was intended to be and advertised as....I saw alot of children becoming bord or agigtated.
Jonny Depp was amazing (if in parts slightly OTT with his part)and wanted to hear what the oompa loompas were singing but could not hear the lyrics they were singing. Also freddie highmore was fantastic and the only character you really cared for....even if he did become a side character once entering the factory. I also did not like his grandpa Joe....I found him kinda scary and not at all likeable. He seemed very selfish wanting to get into the factory just for his own benefit!
I really did feel there was something lacking from this film.......a heart. To me you did not to get to know about any of the characters enough or seem to care what happened to them....the same with Willy Wonka at the end. You just really didnt care...you knew it was trying to tug at the heart strings but they just slipt out of its grasp. Very enjoyable film but don't go in like I did thinking this will be exceptional. It isn't. Still better than the original though!!!!
what do you guys think? anyone seen it yet?

 

SPOILERS

Okay. I've now seen it too... and to be blunt - I wish I hadn't.

Act One: Clumsy Exposition Central.

Act Two: Dull and unsurprising.

Act Three: A fumbling mess.

The beginning was sooooo unbelievably amateur. Charlie's Uncle telling us everything we needed to know. Boring, boring, boring. This was the first example of many in the film where everything stood still to fill us in on details that didn't affect the present day, that didn't effect the plot.

Chris Lee's subplot was entirely unecessary, and disappointing - as it undermined the character of Wonka. Throughout, I was expecting there to be something else hiding behind Wonka's childish exterior - IMO Depp was hinting at it all the way through, but when it came to the crunch there was nothing. Just... a 'lost boy'.

If Burton was going to take liberties with the story, he shouldn't have done it in the Wonka backstory department, and should have done it in the middle section, which IMO was extremely pedestrian. One kid bites the dust, then song... second kid bites the dust, then song... and so on. That's how it is in the book, sure, but on the big screen, there was simply no adventure to be had. Burton seemed to compensate for the dullness of story, and almost complete lack of plot, with increasingly desperate attempts to 'weird it up' - culminating in such a staggering break with reality that (the seemingly endless elevator ride) I lost all touch with what humanity remained in the film. I found myself thinking 'boy, I can't wait until the last grotty kid bites the dust, then we can get to the meat of the story'. Unfortunately, there was no meat.

The end was extremely poor. It was as if Burton wanted to give the story a different ending, but didn't know what to do exactly. And so the film meandered to an unsatisfying end that focused on more on Wonka than Charlie - leaving us with a corny 'happy families' schmaltz-laden close. An anti-climax if ever I saw one.

Depp did well with what he had, but what he had was unfocused. One moment he's this mystical figure with fire behind his eyes, and the next he's a confused simpleton. This wouldn't have been so bad had he not chopped and changed between the two personalities seemingly at random.

Oddness for oddness' sake simply doesn't work.

Sorry Burton, sorry Depp... but this is a film without consequence. Personally, I think Dahl's story needs a lot of messing with and adding to if it's going to work... but adding to in the present, not in endless 'oddvision flashbacks'. It needs some bloody plot - particularly in the middle.

I felt like I was on a magical mystery tour, not in a driven story... and the trick is to make them one and the same, not sacrifice on for the other.

 

Couldn't agree more dude.....four stars by some reviewers?! jeez they need to think about hwta they are viewing first!

 

Whoa! You're the only people I've seen who don't like it. I thought it was brilliant. I was peeing myself in parts.

 

I personally thought it was a visual treat, and a really nice film to watch!
The songs just won me over, along with Highmore and Depp!

 

From what I heard on Newsnight Review last night it seems the film's big failing was that it advertised itself as a kid's movie, which it is not. Its too dark for young kids, and too emotionly complex for young teenagers to understand
One person said the best parts were the beginning & the end. The whole of the stuff in the chocolate factory was uninteresting. Burton does not do light & funny well. If its not dark then its no good

I hope to see it and compare it with the original
Though from the stuff I have seen Wonk comes across as a very annoying helium-inflated buffoon. The acting is not as good as the original & and the characters are not as interesting or well constructed as the original.

This new version maybe more accurate to the story, but whether it is as enjoyable and fun as the original remains to be seen

 

It's not light, but it is funny.

 

I expect it would be, the book was funny, and the old version was funny

 

I don't think it was too emotionally complex, I think it was emotionally confused.

The stuff in the Factory was uninteresting, but that doesn't make the beginning and end any good as a result. The beginning was handled like Jackanory, and the end didn't know when or where to... 'end'.

As for being a kids movie or not, again, I don't think it knew what it wanted to be. In interviews I see they keep going on about how they wanted to retain the spirit and attitude of the book. Now... the book is a children's book, and yet they've managed to make it unsuitable for children. Bang up job there guys. A skillful adaptation would've retained what appeals to children, and also given adults something to chew on... excuse me for the slightly odd comparison, but in the same way that the Shrek movies have done. The Shrek movies can make the same joke, the same funny scene, the same piece of action amusing or interesting on two levels at the same time... Burton's Chocolate Factory has some bits for kids, and some for adults, and as a result it feel messy and uneven. Chris Lee's subplot is an example of something entirely devoid of interest for children... therefore it should not have been there.

 

But Shrek's ****!

 

I've never seen the old one, and won't be seeing this one either

 

No it isn't. Shrek is extremely clever.

 

Agreed


@ GG1

 

Yeah, Shrek is pure genius.

 

Agreed, and Shrek 2 is funnier...remember the Cops spoof?

"It's catnip!"

"That's not mine!"

 

They're both films of genius

 

shrek 2 is brilliant but not as funny as the original one. I must say I must have seen a different film to some of you guys and saw the same film as richies reporter did as the middle was just so boring...I mean for me it just didnt know what genre it wanted to be.

btw anyone see the trailer for the corpse bride before it? I loved it but most of the little kids shat themsleves at it and the little kid sat in the row infront turned to his mum and said "thats just silly mummy you can't marry a dead lady!"

 

Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka! The amazing choclatier!
Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka! Everybody give a cheer!
He's modest, clever and so smart,
He barely can restrain it.
With so much generosity there is no way to contain it.
To contain it. To contain! To contain! To contain!!

Hurrah!

Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka! He's the one that you're about to meet!
Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka! He's a genius who just can't be beat!
A magician and a choclate wizz,
The best darn guy who ever lived,
Willy Wonka here he is!!






WOW!

 

that song rocked with the chair rising and everything

"wow I love a good show!"

 

Yeah the song rocked. No two ways about that. It's still ringing around my head today.

The Corpse Bride trailer was really good.

 

Srek 1 was superb. Shrek 2 was pants. All of the songs in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ruled.

 

Yes.

No.

They were good, but some of the words were muffled by the music.

 

I guess I just don't like Shreks humour. Give me Monty Python or Billy Connolly anyday.

 

I like all three.