Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Unsettling, Beautiful, Phenomenal

It could painstakingly take hours for me to muster up a perfect movie review for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Why bother when someone already has? Michael Wilmington from the Chicago Tribune did the best job of portraying this movie from my vantage point.

Movie Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I was captivated from the very first frame until the last credit rolled up from the bottom of the screen. It was one amazing ride. Perhaps the most fun I've had in a movie theatre since I was 15 years old making out with a cute boy in the back row. Incredible.

Johnny Depp moved up on my list of All-Time Greatest Actors, he's easily in the top 5. He mesmerizes me. In my opinion, there is not a better director-actor combination than Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. They are a force to be reckoned with.

I was surprised at how Burton captured the very essence of Dahl's story. He kept it dark, which, shouldn't be all that surprising given the fact that Burton directed it. But, given today's Hollywood, I expected a lot of flash and grandiose imagery and that's not what I saw. I saw the same scenery as in the first film, beautifully imperfect. It was choppy and allowed for your imagination to soar as far as you'd allow it to.

Depp's portrayal of Wonka surprised me. I knew it would be the perfect role for him, but I was suprised at how well he perfected it. It shocks you. He makes you feel uneasy. His childlike nature and androngenous appearance really makes you wonder. Every time Depp appeared on screen was like Burton handing you a stunningly wrapped gift. A surprise around every corner.

Johnny Depp was definitely the Golden Ticket in this film.