"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"

[k8cre8]

Before I jump into this, let me go on record, I like Johnny Depp. I often like Tim Burton. I even mostly like Roald Dahl. And John August. I even had a good time at the movie. I laughed several times, and in no way thought the movie was a waste of time.

And yet.
 
It lacked a sense of wonder. The factory almost became, well, uninteresting, as though it was a documentary about a place well known to the audience, with no mystery left. I don’t think it had much to do with familiarity of the book, or even the original movie. It was something in the movie itself. Both bryee  and I left with a desire to re-read the book, which is typically not a good sign.
 
And, I re-read the book, mostly on Friday. I enjoyed it. There was still magic in there. Familiarity with the subject matter was clearly not the issue.
 
Talking after the movie, it seemed that there was just too much that pulled the viewer out of the movie. Some of the CGI effects aren’t well-blended into the movie, which is not something I’ve had a problem with in any of Tim Burton’s previous films. If you spend time noticing the puppet’s strings, the puppet’s not going to be as engaging. In parts of the film, the CG is well-integrated, and those are the parts of the movie that worked the best. I also appreciated that the script was closer to the book in most respects, and John August added some nice touches to that basic story.
 
Adding to the list of things that didn’t work, even though I love Christopher Lee, was the back story for Willy Wonka. The idea that Wonka became the world’s greatest chocolateier due to a childhood as the son of the town’s most prominent dentist, is interesting, but really unnecessary. Depp’s Wonka has almost become a mal-adjusted misanthrope, which isn’t the character created by Dahl. Re-reading it this weekend,  I realized even more clearly that Mr. Wonka, though eccentric, simply didn’t suffer fools lightly. He clearly is compassionate towards Charlie and his family, and treats them well. To the reprehensible children and their equally unpleasant parents, he’s distant, and has an eccentric, at times passive-aggressive, way of treating them. Granted, these appalling persons are ignorant that their perception of Wonka’s reactions to the events caused by their (and their children’s) actions is that he’s insane and uncaring. They see themselves as victims, and Mr. Wonka as their assailant.  
 
Lastly, the Oompah-Loompas were even more wrong in this version than they were in the original. I wish someone would do a movie where the Oompah-Loompas are even remotely like they are in the book. Making them all the same guy, interesting idea, but, why’d they have to be that guy, and make him grouchy? Worse, why have them be the same guy, and then fail to have the heads match the bodies correctly, or the bodies be of inconsistent sizes?
 
Okay. I’m done now. I stupidly volunteered to make a shot list for the start of principle photography (see, I'm making a movie, and I'm being pathetically geeky about it) tomorrow, so, I've got some work to do yet tonight.

Comments

[drdeleto.livejournal.com]

So is every Johnny Depp character based on Keith Richards now? I heard he researched what Keith was like before he wacked out on drugs and based his portrayal of J. M. Barrie on that. (Okay, not really.)

[drdeleto.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'll get a chance. I hear my son's dad is Johnny Depp.

[lovecarnievan.livejournal.com]

Kinda wish I was there, too...