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As a warning, this one was done straight with little revision...I'll edit it at another time, when I have more time, but enjoy :)
Come with me, and you’ll be, in a world of pure imagination….and five brands of crack.
Willy Wonka, the greatest candy-maker in all the world (as the book and movie would have you think) has reopened his doors after ages of keeping them locked, but only to the five lucky children who find his golden tickets, hidden in Wonka candy-bars. Kind and humble Charlie Bucket, poor as dirt, isn’t getting his hopes up, but still wishes he could go. Than, lucky day, the boy finds the ticket and gets to go on a tour of Wonka’s crazy-candy factory along with four other bratty children. It’s a cautionary tale from the twisted mind of Roald Dahl in which a little boy learn a valuable lesson about being a good little boy.
And for those of you wondering why I call Roald Dahl twisted, go read The Landlady.
As stories go, you can’t go wrong here. What child doesn’t wish to find some fabulous secret? However, a cheery premise in bright colors conceals something much darker, though not as sinister as a friend of my mother would have you think. This is a story meant to not only to scare but to scare small children into behaving for their parents. The fact that kids who routinely misbehave end up at horrible fates (but still PG, as everybody is very much alive and nothing gory is shown) and it’s quickly followed by that oh so famous catchy tune we’re all familiar with.
Speaking of music though, that’s an interesting thing about this film. It’s been forever since I’ve seen it, and I mean forever, but I can still remember every tune from it. And I don’t mean just the “Oompa-Loompa” repetitions, I mean everything. I remember “The Candy Man”, “Cheer Up Charlie,” and even Veruca’s little brat number towards the middle. Considering just how catchy the famous Oompa-Loompa songs are, that’s an impressive score. Your mileage ma vary on how good it is, but you’ll remember it.
Getting back to the story, this whole thing would fall apart if we didn’t have sufficiently bratty kids and a convincing Charlie in the lead (I’m looking at you, Tim Burton.) Our cast of characters cover the whole range of just how rotten you can spoil your kids, and each punishment for them is poetic. And charlie is especially well done, as he’s much more realistic than the newer one. He’s kind, humble, and just selfish enough to be a convincing small boy. It makes the ending all the more satisfying, even if strange.
A great story is complemented by a great set. Everything’s alive with bright, kitschy colors once we’re inside, and all manner of interesting visuals greet us as we go on (like that famous tunnel scene on the boat (Holy crap, did anyone else scream like a little baby when you first saw that?) The pacing is just right, the acting is good (it’s Gene Wilder, of course it is), and it’s only real sin is that it’s tragically shorter than the actual book. It’s also not too faithful, which is a shame, and leaves out what could have been several interesting scenes. But, standing by itself, this is a great pick-me-up for a bad day.
So, I would say that you should see this movie but you probably already have. This film isn’t just a cult classic, it’s just a general classic. It’s fun, happy, darkly comedic, and something everyone in the family can love. While most of the actors didn’t go anywhere, it’s still worth a watch.
Alright, I’ve had enough famous-flicks. Let’s go a little more obscure, and little more crazy.
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