Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Blu-ray Book) [Blu-ray]

The Feature: 4.5/5

Impoverished school boy Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) would like nothing more than to spend his newspaper delivery earnings on a sweet treat from Willy Wonka's candy factory. But being raised by a single mother and with four bedridden grandparents under the same roof, Charlie has to think past his juvenile wants and provide for his family. Forced to grow up too fast, Charlie may never have the childhood he deserves, but then a remarkable opportunity comes along. The eccentric Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder), long sequestered in his mysterious candy factory, has decided to open his gates to the lucky winners of five golden tickets packaged in his chocolates and candies. At first it seems the rich and powerful will be the only ones to experience the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but then a bit of luck finally shines on Charlie when he comes across a ticket of his own. Though the children and their families have no idea what's in store for them at the factory, it's guaranteed Wonka will not disappoint. After all he is the Candyman; he mixes things with love and makes the world taste good!

Having read Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" as a child, the pen and ink illustrations by Joseph Schindelman are indelibly etched in my memory, having perfectly captured the novel's dark-yet-whimsical tone. Consequently, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," written for the screen by Dahl himself, sometimes feels a bit too bright and cheery, though the film has its own brand of dark and subversive, exemplified by the Wondrous Boat Ride scene (which unnerves viewers without fail). Of course if it had hewed too closely to the source material, it's possible it wouldn't have become so universally loved. Much of that sentiment is thanks to Wilder, who put his own spin on the titular character while continuing to capture his spirit. Telling the story as a partial musical also proved to be a canny decision, giving the film its own indelible characteristic that would persist into every child's inevitable adulthood. Though Tim Burton's 2005 remake proved to be a respectable adaptation, the 1971 "Willy Wonka" will continue to be the version adults share with their children, defining it as the true classic.

Video Quality: 4/5

Presented in 1080p with the VC-1 codec, the film's image fills the entirety of my 16:9 display despite the package stating it as 1.85:1. The credit sequence is also window-boxed at a ratio of 1.78:1, though it's not clear to me why. The picture itself is blemish-free and exhibits solid black levels, though at times there is a slight amount of crush that makes things look a touch too contrast-y. Shadow delineation in the more dimly lit scenes is also limited, though I suspect it's a characteristic of the film stock that was used. Colors are satisfyingly deep, the vintage color palette of primaries and psychedelics coming across nicely. Overall sharpness and detail are good - textures in fabrics and strands of hair in particular; however, the numerous, now-dated special effects techniques tend to look the worse-for-wear with their softness and increased grain. Fortunately there appears to be no attempts to compensate with excessive sharpening or noise reduction measures. Overall, it's a good transfer with the majority of issues appearing to be source related.

Audio Quality: 3.5/5

The surround channels in the 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio track provide balanced and detailed support for the score with some mild environmental effects. LFE is non-existent, but there is good depth and fullness to the track. Dialogue is generally clear and detailed, though raised voices or yelling can sound a touch strained. Vocals in the musical numbers, by contrast, sound quite good - which makes sense considering those tracks were likely pre-recorded in a more controlled environment.

Special Features: 3.5/5

The special features package includes all the items from the 2005 DVD release. All the video pieces are in standard definition with the exception of the Oompa Loompa song, which is presented in high definition.

Audio Commentary with the Wonka Kids: Though the participants can get caught up in watching the film, or merely reacting to it, the track is a fun walk down memory lane with some great stories about the production. Paris Themmen, who played Mike Teevee, is the most focused of the group and sometimes steps in as moderator or interviewer to help move things along.

Pure Imagination: The Story of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: Retrospective documentary includes interviews with the cast and crew and covers pre-production and story adaptation, casting, set and production design, music, and script revisions, in particular the film's closing dialogue. There's also a brief "where are they now" with the children from the cast.

Sing-Along Songs (9:04): Sing-along to "I've Got A Golden Ticket," "Pure Imagination," "I Want It Now" and "Oompa-Loompa-Doopa-De-Do."

Vintage Featurette (4:02): Focuses on the work of production designer Harper Goff.

Original Theatrical Trailer (3:11)

Collectible Book: The nicely produced book-that-is-the-packaging includes cast and crew biographies, song lyrics and photographs.

Recap

The Feature: 4.5/5
Video Quality: 4/5
Audio Quality: 3.5/5
Special Features: 3.5/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4/5

Beloved adaptation of a Roald Dahl classic children's book gets a good technical presentation and a respectable set of special features.