Region: 1
Video: Enhanced Widescreen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
DVD Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85:1)
Language: English
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Weight factor: 1 item(s)

Plot Synopsis

Director Tim Burton brings his unique vision and sensibility to Roald Dahl's classic children's story in this lavish screen interpretation. Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp) is the secretive and wildly imaginative man behind the world's most celebrated candy company, and while the Wonka factory is famously closed to visitors, the reclusive candy man decides to give five lucky children a chance to see the inside of his operation by placing "golden tickets" in five randomly selected chocolate bars. Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore), whose poor but loving family lives literally in the shadow of the Wonka factory, is lucky enough to obtain one of the tickets, and Charlie, escorted by his Grandpa Joe (David Kelly), is in for the ride of a lifetime as he tours the strange and remarkable world of Wonka with fellow winners, media-obsessed Mike Teavee (Jordan Fry), harsh and greedy Veruca Salt (Julia Winter), gluttonous Augustus Gloop (Philip Wiegratz), and ultra-competitive Violet Beauregarde (AnnaSophia Robb). Over the course of the day, some of the children will learn difficult lessons about themselves, and one will go on to become Wonka's new right hand. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory also stars Christopher Lee, James Fox, and Noah Taylor; the book was famously adapted to the screen before in 1971 under the title Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, with Gene Wilder as the eccentric candy tycoon. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Editorial Reviews:

Charismatic and visually stunning, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a bizarre and funny take on this well-known and well-loved morality tale. While the film is an adaptation of the book by Roald Dahl, it remains difficult to avoid comparing it to the 1971 film by Mel Stuart, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This more recent adaptation was not meant to be connected to the story's earlier incarnation, however, and that may be problematic for fans who are looking for Gene Wilder's coy interpretation of the eccentric candy man. Johnny Depp makes his Willy Wonka less of a slyly charming eccentric and more of a true-to-life shut-in--with a healthy shot of cartoonish fun thrown into the mix. Depp's Willy Wonka isn't a quick-witted father figure with a good-natured plan to teach a lesson to naughty children; he's genuinely shocked and disgusted by the behavior of these greedy youngsters and their maligned parents. His fantastic characterization and charm overpower the absurd comparisons to Michael Jackson, not least because his Wonka doesn't even seem to particularly like kids. Freddie Highmore's performance as Charlie is a breath of fresh air in child-acting, as he remains the only good-hearted kid of the bunch without so much as approaching saccharine. And of course, some mention must be made of Tim Burton's genius take on the Oompa Loompa(s): how many times the awesome Deep Roy had to shoot each scene to create his many alter-egos, we may never know. All these well balanced parts fit together for a compelling story that balances the viewer's need both for dry, unforgiving humor and for childish wonder and hope. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is not nearly as suitable for children as its predecessor--the scene in which Veruca Salt is pinned to the floor Gulliver's Travels-style by a group of angry squirrels would be terrifying to a small child. This isn't a strike against the film, however, as this isn't so much a children's movie that's enjoyable to adults, but rather an adult film that will be loved by children. Even actual fans of the book should be delighted as the movie, above all, achieves the bizarre, otherworldly quality of Roald Dahl's work, seducing even the most jaded and corrupt grown-ups to its message with laughter, fantasy and awe. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide