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Movies / On DVD / Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

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Reviews Counted:211

Fresh:176

Rotten:35

Average Rating:7.2/10

Consensus: Closer to the source material than 1971's Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is for people who like their Chocolate visually appealing and dark.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for quirky situations, action and mild language

Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins

Genre: Childrens

Theatrical Release:29-07-2005

Synopsis: Acclaimed director Tim Burton brings his vividly imaginative style to the beloved Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, about eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka (JOHNNY DEPP) and... Acclaimed director Tim Burton brings his vividly imaginative style to the beloved Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, about eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka (JOHNNY DEPP) and Charlie Bucket (FREDDIE HIGHMORE), a good-hearted boy from a poor family who lives in the shadow of Wonka's extraordinary factory. Most nights in the Bucket home, dinner is a watered-down bowl of cabbage soup, which young Charlie gladly shares with his mother (HELENA BONHAM CARTER) and father (NOAH TAYLOR) and both pairs of grandparents. Theirs is a tiny, tumbledown, drafty old house but it is filled with love. Every night, the last thing Charlie sees from his window is the great factory, and he drifts off to sleep dreaming about what might be inside. For nearly fifteen years, no one has seen a single worker going in or coming out of the factory, or caught a glimpse of Willy Wonka himself, yet, mysteriously, great quantities of chocolate are still being made and shipped to shops all over the world. One day Willy Wonka makes a momentous announcement. He will open his famous factory and reveal "all of its secrets and magic" to five lucky children who find golden tickets hidden inside five randomly selected Wonka chocolate bars. Nothing would make Charlie's family happier than to see him win but the odds are very much against him as they can only afford to buy one chocolate bar a year, for his birthday. Indeed, one by one, news breaks around the world about the children finding golden tickets and Charlie's hope grows dimmer. First there is gluttonous Augustus Gloop, who thinks of nothing but stuffing sweets into his mouth all day, followed by spoiled Veruca Salt, who throws fits if her father doesn't buy her everything she wants. Next comes Violet Beauregarde, a champion gum chewer who cares only for the trophies in her display case, and finally surly Mike Teavee, who's always showing off how much smarter he is than everyone else. But then, something wonderful happens. Charlie finds some money on the snowy street and takes it to the nearest store for a Wonka Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight, thinking only of how hungry he is and how good it will taste. There, under the wrapper is a flash of gold. It's the last ticket. Charlie is going to the factory! His Grandpa Joe (DAVID KELLY) is so excited by the news that he springs out of bed as if suddenly years younger, remembering a happier time when he used to work in the factory, before Willy Wonka closed its gates to the town forever. The family decides that Grandpa Joe should be the one to accompany Charlie on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Once inside, Charlie is dazzled by one amazing sight after another. Wondrous gleaming contraptions of Wonka's own invention churn, pop and whistle, producing ever new and different edible delights. Crews of merry Oompa-Loompas mine mountains of fudge beside a frothy chocolate waterfall or ride a translucent, spun-sugar, dragon-headed boat down a chocolate river past crops of twisted candy cane trees and edible mint-sugar grass. Marshmallow cherry creams grow on shrubs, ripe and sweet. Elsewhere, a hundred trained squirrels on a hundred tiny stools shell nuts for chocolate bars faster than any machine and Wonka himself pilots an impossible glass elevator that rockets sideways, slantways and every which way you can think of through the vast and fantastic factory. Almost as intriguing as his fanciful inventions is Willy Wonka himself, a gracious but most unconventional host. He thinks about almost nothing but candy - except, every once in a while, when he suddenly seems to be thinking about something that happened long ago, that he can't quite talk about. It's been said that Wonka hasn't stepped outside the factory for years. Who he truly is and why he has devoted his life to making sweets Charlie can only guess. Meanwhile, the other children prove to be a rotten bunch, so consumed with themselves that they scarcely appreciate the wonder of Wonka's creations. One by one, their greedy, spoiled, mean-spirited or know-it-all personalities lead them into all kinds of trouble that force them off the tour before it's even finished. When only little Charlie Bucket is left, Willy Wonka reveals the final secret, the absolute grandest prize of all: the keys to the factory itself. Long isolated from his own family, Wonka feels it is time to find an heir to his candy empire, someone he can trust to carry on with his life's work and so he devised this elaborate contest to select that one special child. What he never expects is that his act of immeasurable generosity might bring him an even more valuable gift in return. Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Zanuck Company / Plan B Production of a Tim Burton Film: Johnny Depp stars in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, based on the book by Roald Dahl, and also starring Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor, Missi Pyle, James Fox, with Deep Roy and Christopher Lee. Directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by John August, the film is produced by Brad Grey and Richard D. Zanuck. Patrick McCormick, Felicity Dahl, Michael Siegel, Graham Burke and Bruce Berman executive produce. Director of photography is Philippe Rousselot, A.F.C./A.S.C. Production designed by Alex McDowell. Edited by Chris Lebenzon, A.C.E. Costume designer is Gabriella Pescucci. Music by Danny Elfman. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be released worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures. This film is rated PG by the MPAA for "quirky situations, action and mild language." -- © Warner Bros [More]

Starring: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham-Carter

Starring: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham-Carter, Noah Taylor, Missi Pyle, Christopher Lee, James Fox, Deep Roy, Adam Godley, AnnaSophia Robb

Director: Tim Burton

Director: Tim Burton
Screenwriter: John August
Producer: Brad Grey, Richard D. Zanuck
Composer: Danny Elfman
Studio: Warner Bros.

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

If anything cramps Depp, and the film's sense of fun, it is the weight that is placed on reconciliation between Wonka and his father.

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
09/28/06
Ryan Gilbey
Ryan Gilbey
Sight and Sound

It's nearly impossible to fathom the grand act of sabotage that Johnny Depp has committed upon the source material as its reclusive chocolatier.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment 1 Comment
02/09/06
Joshua Rothkopf
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
01/07/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

In its combination of fidelity to its source and wacky visual ideas, Burton's take is a triumph of common sense and imagination -- exactly the qualities for which we admire children.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
12/06/05
Robert Hanks
Robert Hanks
Independent

Yes, it's pretty hilarious, but it's also delightfully deranged in all the best ways.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
08/26/05
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

A hugely enjoyable, brightly coloured children’s fantasy, with a terrific central performance from Johnny Depp. In a word, delicious.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
07/30/05
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
07/29/05
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

An intoxicating endorphin rush.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
07/19/05
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Quite simply one of the best children's films in ages.

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
07/14/05
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
FilmFocus

The Nut Room scene, complete with squirrels, is unreservedly brilliant, a tour de force of electronic wizardry.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
06/13/08
Amber Wilkinson
Amber Wilkinson
Eye for Film

One of the best family films in a while and one of the year's stronger films to date.

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
01/15/08
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

Poised to become a new cult classic to replace the old one.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment 1 Comment
09/24/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

The material plays to [Burton's] strengths ... he's more interesting as a stylist than a storyteller.

Full Review Source: Looking Closer | comment Comment
09/20/07
Jeffrey Overstreet
Jeffrey Overstreet
Looking Closer
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
08/17/07
Time Out New York
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Depp's Wonka exudes none of the gravity required for the role. It's as though he didn't take the role seriously. Rather than an intimidating candyman teaching brats a lesson, this Wonka is simply a freak.

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

Possibly the first Hollywood movie to design a fairy tale of sorts around globalization, the film conjures a mythic Brit multinational instead of the usual imperial realm, asa basically high caloric magical kingdom.

Full Review Source: Long Island Press | comment Comment
04/19/07
Prairie Miller
Prairie Miller
Long Island Press

There's a lot of cool stuff on display here, but it lacks the consistent creative vision--or, if you like, the pure imagination--of the original film.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
Film Journal International

full review in Greek

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
10/03/06
Joseph Proimakis
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses

A funny and sweet adventure for kids and parents, thanks to Burton's ability to stir the imagination and tell a sweepingly charming story.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
09/11/06
Todd Hertz
Todd Hertz
Christianity Today

Soft-spoken, eccentric and just a little sadistic at times, Depp makes for an all-original Wonka, and not a rehash of Wilder’s infamous work.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
05/12/06
Bob Grimm
Bob Grimm
Sacramento News & Review
 
 
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all

Latest News for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

October 01, 2009: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Broadway Bound Opens in new window
Warner Bros. are developing a musical based on 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', the property they spun into the 2005 hit movie. 'Hairspray' songwriters Marc Shaiman and... More...

February 04, 2009: Exclusive: Inside Pinewood/Shepperton - A Photo Tour
Every year, the BAFTA film awards present a trophy for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. Introduced in 1978, the award recognises an organisation or a person's career... More...

November 16, 2007: Tim Burton Making 3-D Alice in Wonderland for Disney
He's already taken filmgoers to Sleepy Hollow and into Willy Wonka's factory -- and now, Variety reports, Tim Burton will team up with Disney to give audiences a new take on... More...

June 21, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: Evan Shall Lead the Way
Universal looks to score its first number one hit in nearly a year this weekend with the new Steve Carell comedy "Evan Almighty" which hits the multiplexes on Friday... More...

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