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A
surprising journey: Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp) watches
with Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore), left, and the
other gold ticket winners as Augustus Gloop is sucked
into a chocolate-collecting machine during the group’s
factory tour.
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A
dark delight
Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory
Johnny
Depp, Freddie Highmore, Helena Bonham Carter
Rating:
5/5
JOHNNY
Depp proves his versatility with a brilliant portrayal of the
confectionary megalomaniac in Tim Burton’s screen adaptation
of Roald Dahl’s classic tale.
Bringing Willy Wonka to life as a well meaning but somewhat
twisted and naïve chocolateer, Depp is hilariously entertaining
to watch. Depending on the circumstances, his broad smile is
sometimes friendly, sometimes vacant, sometimes passive aggressive
and occasionally downright hostile.
Despite the strength of Depp’s performance, the other characters
hold their own and refuse to be overshadowed by either the richly
coloured, dynamic chocolate factory or its owner.
Even Charlie Bucket (played to understated perfection by the
preternaturally competent Freddie Highmore) who, as the only
character in the whole movie that could be described as “normal”,
risks being eclipsed by his boisterous peers, stands out as
a measure of just how far off the rails the rest of the cast
are.
The sets – Burton apparently created as many real sets
as possible, only falling back on green screen when absolutely
necessary – are a vibrant sea of colours like a freshly
spun candy bar.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the perfect confection
– rich but not too sweet, dark but not too bitter and with
enough nuts mixed into the middle to be entertaining the whole
way through. Like all good children’s movies, it will captivate
the younger members of its audience and be a guilty pleasure
for their parents.
–
Private John Wellfare
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