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First of all, let me say that this film is nothing like the original, there were so many things that were not in this film that were in the original, which made the film seem very short. Through out the whole film you know what is going to happen and when you don't see it you kind of feel let down, but then the film goes on after the ending of the original and you get new material on the screen.
This film has BURTONS style written all over it, the opening score, the Buckette's house, evening the references to his other films are in here. (Peewee, Edward). It's always a treat to see a Burton film because his sense of style is always "twisted" and unique.
The music other then Elfman's score was sung by the Oompa Loompas and they were short and only happened after a child was disposed of. Of course it was funny to see that little guy sing and do the little dances, but I still say that the original Oompa Loompas were great and should never have changed. I never read the book, but in the movie it shows the back story to the Oompa Loompas, living in some kind of jungle, it was neat to see that.
In saying that, this film, unlike the original which centered on Charlie, deals more with Wonka. Going to the jungle or Loompa Island and finding the Oompa Loompas, hell even going as far back as to show Willy as a child and his father the great Mr. Lee, or as someone said in the audience. "Holy Sh*t, it's Dooku". As stated before this film is full of references to other movies and one is 2001: AOS, in the TV room (the big white room) it has 2001 on the screen and I know that I was the only one in that theater that knew what it was.
So Depp as Wonka eh, well this is the part that scares me, he was freaky. Not like the original Wonka at all. He sounds like a child, looks pale and acts like a child. Depp was quoted as saying that the inspiration was a game show host locked up for 20 years and then finally let out and I believe it. He was great, had the right funny/scary/weird sense and look to him. Of course Wonka and Depps performance is the most weird part of this film, that doesn't take apart from the fact that the film itself is weird, it goes up there with any Lynch or Cronenberg film as being F'd up. Not in an I don't understand way, in a this is F'd up way.
Which film do I prefer, hard to say cause the original is a classic and I never read the book, but as good as the film is there were some parts that I could of done without. Mainly one being Burton showing the other children leaving the factory. Agustus is covered in Chocolate, Violette is still blue, and I won't tell you about the other two, but what I liked about the original is that you never knew what happened to them, if those Oompa Loompas really did take care of those kids or if there were something darker going on in that factory. All in all, the kids did the job of acting like kids and the parents did the job of acting like parents, so nothing special there.
Depp's performance, the sets, comparing to the original and Burton behind the camera are the reasons to see this film, but if you loved a lot of things about the original....like Slugsworth, the floating/burping, Wonkas office, then you'll end up being disappointed because they are not present in Burtons film.
8/10
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Suspect's Reviews
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They are not circus freak, singing migets, they are just people of abnormal size.
