June 30, 1971
Paramount
Children's, Musical, Fantasy
VHS
B-
Does it seem weird that I don't exactly know what I think of this movie? I mean, I grew up with it, and the book it's based on. (My review: http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/07/charlie-and-chocolate-factory.html.) Let's start with Willy Wonka, since the title was changed for the movie adaptation (adapted by Dahl himself, although he hated the subsequent rewrite). Gene Wilder manages to be both charming and creepy. (Not Johnny Depp level creepy, but that's a later discussion.) All of the children misbehave, even our hero Charlie, although he at least atones for it. The chocolate manufacturing plant is at once an awesome little amusement park and a potential death factory*, with an acid-trip boat ride. The songs are either classic ("Candy Man," "Pure Imagination"), or they're stupid but catchy (the Oompa-Loompa songs), or they're filled with unwieldy Anthony Newley rhymes ("Cheer Up, Charlie," "I Want It Now, etc.). The humor is either sly (many of Wonka's lines, the teacher's riffs) or pathetic (many of Grandpa Joe's lines). Speaking of Grampa J, I think he's malingering. He (along with the other three grandparents) has apparently been bedridden for twenty years, and yet the local news vendor knows him and GJ can somehow sneak tobacco and chocolate into the house.
Anyway, I'm going with my default grade, B-. The movie could be better, it could be worse. It's entertaining but not amazing.
Oompa Loompa Rusty Goffe would play two different goblins in Harry Potter movies. Little person Frank Delfino plays an auctioneer rather than an Oompa Loompa; he was in Please Don't Eat the Daisies, and would go on to play a Kaplutian on The Brady Bunch. And, no, I don't know why the O-Ls are orange.
*Unlike in the book, we never actually see the bad kids recover.
 |
| Before tragedy struck |
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