A Sticky Delight

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory infused with magic by Tim Burton

DV Indeed
By Michael the K

Here’s another film Burton has turned into magic. The original Willy Wonka, based on the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starred Gene Wilder, and was deemed a classic kid’s film. Burton again upgraded his production to make it more appropriate for adults and mixed in his eye for the macabre. Johnny Depp takes center stage once more as Willy Wonka, the world’s master chocolate maker. Willy, whose father was a dentist, was kept from all candy as a youth, so when Willy was finally able to indulge in the world of confections, he took it to the extreme and perfected the making of fine chocolate at a gourmet level.

Transfixed in his obsession, he built his Disneyland-style chocolate factory in a manner befitting a king. Here, Depp, whose style of method acting is to emulate real people (Keith Richards mixed in with Pepe Le Pieu in Pirates), mixes in Michael Jackson’s character and plays it to perfection. You almost won’t recognize him!

The title character, Charlie Bucket, is a boy from a poor family who idolizes Willy and the greatness of the chocolate he makes. When Wonka holds a contest to invite five special kids on a tour of Wonka’s domain, with shades of Jackson’s Neverland, he is more than thrilled. His poor family, who loves Charlie dearly, aids him all they can to achieve this goal. The golden tickets hidden in Wonka’s chocolate bars are bought as fast as they can reach the store shelves, as the eager public hopes to be invited to the world-class confectioner’s paradise, which he finally achieves. The four other winners are children who are excessive in different ways, and Wonka goes out of his way to teach them a lesson. The film’s brilliant cast, mostly British, includes James Fox as the spoiled rich girl’s father.

The film was well-cast, and the transit to DVD was wonderful. Here again, Burton entertains you to the max. The screenplay was well updated, and the sets were mind-blowing. The sound and music again are superb, they suck you into the production numbers. I did not see this in the theater, but I can only assume that the home presentation far exceeds it. This is the way all films should be conceived, made and presented. It seems Hollywood is more interested in the revenue than the art. They don’t care if you like it, just as long as you see it and pay the admission price.

Usually I review three DVDs but these two were so good, and the reviews so extensive, I’ll leave it at that, as I’d rather not mix in any inferior products to these excellent presentations.

Michael the K, in addition to his position as Video Editor, is a long-time music producer and filmmaker living in Eureka. He can be reached at 667-3302, or at video ~~AT~~ humboldtsentinel.com. More of his writing can be reviewed at eurekatribune.com.