A Yucky Chocolate Covered Remake

Everyone probably remembers Mel Stuart's warm, imagination soaring, chocolate loving family film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; but is Tim Burton's remake, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory just as memorable? The 1971 film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a family movie and a musical that set high expectations and anticipation for the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. When one thinks of a remake, they envision their adored original updated with a few new and creative details that will make it more relatable to our time; however, this was not the case for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. According to TV guide critics when comparing the two movies, "Fans with fond childhood memories of the candy-colored fantasy Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) are in for a nasty surprise."

Both movies, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, were based on Roald Dahl's classic novel and are considered to be family films. While the remake is more in tune with the original book, the original movie still stands as more of a family film. In a family film, the plot must attract audiences of any age, from children to adults (“Family Film”), and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory epitomizes this definition taking what one considers a good, wholesome family film to a whole new level of excellence. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory does not meet this excellence whatsoever and should not be qualified as a family film because for children "the storyline's abrupt turns and shaded humor may be difficult to follow," and "the film includes moments of peril when some cute, cuddly squirrels turn vicious and a puppet show catches fire (Bennett)."

The original movie is still memorable today even after thirty-five years. This movie executes the ideas of Roald Dahl's unique plot while crafting it with some exceptional ideas of its own. Other elements that have contributed to the lasting love of for this movie are the characters, the lyrics to the songs, the reality created in the imagination of the chocolate world and, of course, the Oompa Loompas. In the newer movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the high-technology and futuristic feeling made the idea of the movie seem less believable because it was not set in a time we can all relate to, whereas in the older movie the setting may be older but it allows the viewer to feel as if they are in that time. The special effects ruined the ability to make a connection with and relate to the character's feelings and the plot of the movie as a whole, whereas in the old movie, with less computer animated special effects, it made it easier for viewers to use their imagination and left more to wonder.

Although the characters in both movies were indeed the same, the overall portrayal is a key difference between the two. Willy Wonka in the original movie says "Everything inside is eatable, I mean edible, I mean you can eat everything (Willy Wonka…)." This line displays the fun, playful, and lightheartedness of the original. In the new movie, the same line is transformed to, "Everything in this room is eatable. Even I'm eatable. But that is called cannibalism, my dear children, and is in fact frowned upon in most societies (Charlie…)." The newer version adds a bizarre eeriness to the character of Willy Wonka and takes away the vivacity that is presented in the original line. In the original movie, Charlie is the main character. The newer movie pays more attention to Willy Wonka's life and his peculiar childhood, instead of focusing on Charlie's life. The focus on Charlie assisted in the family-based film element of the movie as well as allowing the audience to eventually empathize and develop feelings for the character, whereas in the remake there is no empathy provoked for Willy Wonka's character because he is too weird and creepy.

The riddles of the Oompa Loompas were personally my favorite part of the original movie. The Oompa Loompas served as little, playful people teaching lessons to the remaining children in the form of creative, catchy rhyming songs. The riddles, or more-so just songs in Charlie in the Chocolate Factory did not reveal one bit of creativity and the lyrics did not make any sense. Also, the little, playful people were transformed into many clones of the same little, eccentric, futuristic man dressed in a spacesuit that hops around in a strange way. Plain and simple, it was very disappointing and just not the same.

Overall, the new movie, while it illustrates our more advanced and technological way of life today and corresponds to the storyline of the original book, does not compare to the family-film quality of the seventy's original that makes it one of a kind. It is safe to say that if you loved the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory you will be very disappointed in the remake. The new movie is nothing like the old one, so if you are expecting it to be, then you will not enjoy Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Works Cited

Bennett, Kerry. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” __Parent Previews__. 2005. <http://movies.go.com/parentpreviews/review?rid=77481>

Berardinelli, James. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” __Movie Reviews__. 2005. <http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/c/charlie_chocolate.html>

“Family Film.” __Wikipedia__. 17 Feb 2006. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_movie>

__IMDb__. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2005.” 1 February 2006. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367594/>

__IMDb__. “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory 1971.” 12 Feb 2006. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992>

__Rotten Tomatoes__. “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory 2005.” <http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/charlie_and_the_chocolate_factory/>