Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Yeah, I'm one of those people who grew up on Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka and -- despite my affection for Depp and his offbeat characterizations -- I was more than a bit irritated at the peek the trailers showed me. Depp's Wonka appeared more than "offbeat." He looked (and sounded) ridiculous. So, I wasn't terribly excited to see this film.

What a pleasant surprise. The early scenes (pre-factory) were simply magical and succeeded in making me fall in love with this little Bucket boy and his entire family. Once we got to the factory and I had the chance to get to "know" Depp's Wonka, I understood a little better what was going on with the teeth and the weirdness. It surprised me greatly that more of the character is what I needed to be able to stand him.

One little complaint: the CG used for Violet (during her transformation AND exiting the factory) and Mike (exiting). Very late '90s creepy in their rubbery look.

B