Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) – 3/5

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

I liked this movie, but it’s hard to say it’s very ‘good.’ I think it starts well w/ some good setting of premise and characters, but then it seems to stop.

I’m probably guilty of comparing it too much to the first movie which I really liked. I think this movie sets the tone w/ Charlie, but then leaves him for most of the rest of the story and focuses on Wonka.

Also, the first movie didn’t have the modern technical abilities which I think made this version focus too much on the setting and not enough on the characters.

SPOILERS:

In the original movie, they had the concept of the ‘spy’ offering money to tempt the children to bring him an everlasting gobstopper. This movie didn’t have that. So this movie didn’t have a ‘test’ really for Charlie to pass. He just lasted longer than the other kids who were clearly intentionally tested by their obvious weakness.

Charlie wasn’t tested and therefore lasted the longest. He was tested to leave his family which he passed, but that was after the fact (and Wonka didn’t reward the ‘passing’ so it wasn’t a test by him).

Also, as someone else pointed out, the story of this movie was more about the ‘saving’ of Wonka instead of Charlie. Again, that might be comparing too much to the first, but I really liked the first one.