When I was a kid, I was a bit ahead of the learning curve. By kindegarten, I was reading on a third grade level. Oddly enough, I never tested high enough to be considered "gifted," so I was stuck being a fairly smart kid in a class with the "regular" kids.
Needless to say, I was a bit mischevous as a result.
One of the few things that kept me from too much trouble was reading. At the age of eight, before cable was affordable to the masses and VCRs were the size of a Buick, my third grade teacher Mrs. Griffin (and one of the most incredible women I have ever met) introduced me to a book that she read a chapter of each day to us called "Charlie & The Chocolate Factory". It was one of the few books I have ever read more than once, and when I was in the fifth grade (decent sized fish in a small pond), I was even asked to read the book to the third graders that she taught. I even read the sequel, "Charlie & The Great Glass Elevator" more than once. It was a book that played quite a role in my childhood, and Roald Dahl became one of my favorite authors. For all of the darkness and under-the-surface teaching that it did, I still feel a smile on my face when I think of it.
In the '80s, I was introduced to the first film version, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. Making it a musical kind of made sense to me, with all of the Oompa Loompa songs that were in it, and I thought Gene Wilder did a fairly accurate portrayal of the eccentric candy factory owner. I was quite surprised to find out later that the author absolutely aborred the film, and vowed that he would never let anyone else do it again. Hey, I own the DVD. Again, the film holds a very special place to me.
A few years ago, when I found out that Dahl's widow had given her blessing to Tim Burton to direct a remake (after seeing his vision of her husband's Jake & The Giant Peach), I was a bit skeptical as to another version of what I felt to be a wonderful film. I was really concerned when I heard that Marilyn Manson was cast ast Willy, but then a bit at ease when the final decision was made to give the role to Johnny Depp. As my buddy Chad's wife's birthday approached, and she had said that this movie is what she wanted to see for the celebration of another complete orbit of the sun, I decided to go with her and the family to see what Burton would do.
So, did I like it?
Well, it's now been about two and a half weeks, and I'm still not sure where I sit.
On one hand, Burton's vision was wonderful. The advances in visual effects are incredibly evident here. Depp's Wonka was dead-on, and is able to give a performance that never made me even want to compare him to Wilder. And the kids were INCREDIBLE. Great casting and performances all around.
On the other hand, I felt Burton took a few liberties he shouldn't have (i.e.- the whole father angle, and changing the whole ending), which kind of left a bit of bad taste in my mouth.
So, I guess I am giving an apples-and-oranges argument here, but I'll still give Charlie & The Chocolate Factory a rating of "7". See it if you can, but don't trip over yourself getting there.
I'll have more later.
BB
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