What's new

New Willy Wonka - 2005(?) (1 Viewer)

DeathStar1

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2001
Messages
3,267
Real Name
Neil
I caught a bit of this on HBO HD a week ago. At first, I didn't really care for it because new people in classic roles takes a while to get used to. Especially that stupidly freaky Wonka Makeup.

But I was warming up to it 12 minutes in. I tuned to something else though eventually, but it might be a bargain bin DVD buy.

How closley does the movie follow the book? I havn't read it since grade school and can't find a new copy online.
 

Adam_S

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2001
Messages
6,316
Real Name
Adam_S
a year or so later the movie has soured a bit on me and ironically it's all because of Depp's bizarre choices in performance. He didn't need to imitate Gene Wilder to capture the tone, wit, edge, danger and charm of that performance but he could have provided one equally as captivating. Instead he went in 'entirely the opposite direction' and we end up with a useless one dimensional portrayal that lacks all of the above and only has one quality, goofy.

That's a shame because the rest of the film is terrificly done and benefits from no 'Cheer up Charlie' Though I think the original did a better job of establishing Charlie's position in the real world the actor in the original was far too sturdy and healthy and good looking. They had a perfect Charlie in the Depp/Burton version.

The newest film had a lot of pizzazz but no magic and that's sad, because the old film had magic in spades from the moment of the utterly joyful "I've got a golden Ticket" which is something the newest film never matched.
 

Ronald Epstein

Founder
Owner
Moderator
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 3, 1997
Messages
66,561
Real Name
Ronald Epstein
I have to agree. I loved the new Willy Wonka initially, but
future viewings really soured things with me. Depp would have
been perfectly cast if not for his choice to play Wonka as a
cross between Michael Jackson and a Game Show host. Depp's
portrayal of Wonka fell tremendously flat.

....and you are correct, the movie itself was extremely well
done considering even attempting to remake such a huge classic
as Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is almost doomed
to failure. Burton managed to pull it off, though. The film is
terrific eye-candy and the "Oompa Loompa" material is a real
highlight.

In the end, I still think that the original Gene Wilder film
is the better version, though the new film follows the book
almost flawlessly.
 

Josh.C

Second Unit
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
469
I'll third the poor impression left by this movie, although I thought it bombed upon first viewing, and have no desire to watch it again. I like JD, but he really overdid this one with the wierd antics. Umpa Lumpa's were ok, but I'll still take the originals every time if given a choice.

Burton hasn't made a movie I really enjoyed in a long time. IMO he needs to put a winner out there to hold his "elite director" status, because it is falling fast.

Some things don't need to be remade. The original still holds up today, and has a lot more character and heart.

JC
 

StephenA

Screenwriter
Joined
Nov 30, 2001
Messages
1,512
I didn't like the movie at all from the first viewing. I watched it a couple other times afterwards with my mom and sister, and liked it even less. Both my mom and sister didn't like it either. Even if the first movie didn't follow the book as closely, I'll always view it as the better of the two movies.
 

Dan Keefe

Second Unit
Joined
Jun 28, 2000
Messages
408
I thought Depp's performance was well done...We get an angry lost Wonka this time...and in the end we find out its because of his parents...I've only seen it twice though
 

DavidPla

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2004
Messages
2,357
Must disagree with most of the comments here. Maybe it's because I didn't grow up with the original movie, but I always thought the film wasn't that great to begin with. Other than Gene Wilder's performance, there was nothing particularly great about the film at all IMO.

Now this new version was more like it. Definitely captured the heart and feel of the book. Just everything about this version was infinitely better than the 70s version IMO. I think what lost me on that version was that there was no style to it. It was all very mundane... no magic. This felt a lot more like a fairy tale. Like the feeling I got from reading the book.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,814
Messages
5,123,788
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top