'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' amounts to empty calories
by Chris Garcia
Those teeth, that hair, that smarmy simper and girlish giggle. Ew. Willy still gives us the willies, but no longer in a good way. We miss Gene Wilder, terribly. As overinterpreted by Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's charmless and totally unnecessary "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," Willy Wonka is a waxy freak and mincing creep. He's a pinched, effeminate fop, with the brittle scold of a school marm and the pasty hue of a cadaver.
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Eccentric chocolate maker Willy Wonka announces that he will reveal the secrets of his famous factory to five lucky children who find golden tickets hidden in five randomly selected Wonka chocolate bars. Nothing would make Charlie Bucket's family happier than to see him win, but the odds are very much against him: They can only afford to buy him one chocolate bar a year — for his birthday.
Warner Brothers Pictures
'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Deep Roy
Run time: 106 minutes
Release date: July 15, 2005
Rating: PG for quirky situations, action and mild language.
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: B-
"You wanted Wilder's Wonka to give you a final hug. You want Depp's to put on surgical gloves before he makes a move toward you."
Austin American-Statesman: 2 of 5 stars
"You can't shake the fatal sense of having seen this all before in a sprightlier, fresher film that's 34 years old."
Dayton Daily News: B-
"For all its imaginative visuals and droll humor, the colorful fantasy seems a bit peculiar and detached."
The Palm Beach Post: A-
"There is no denying the virtuosity of Depp's controlled, crafty performance. "
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