Charlie und die Schokoladenfabrik

Surprisingly, Roald Dahl (author of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, on which this film is based) reportedly hated this big screen version of his book. There's no denying that the book is sheer genius, but in all honesty this film adaptation is exceptionally well made too. In fact, it comes high up on my list of all-time movie favourites.

The Wonka Chocolate Factory is an amazing building from which some of the most scrumdiddlyumptious sweets are delivered to the world's candy stores. Wonka-mania hits the world when five golden tickets are hidden inside packs of Wonka bars - for the winners will be granted a tour of the top-secret factory. Young Charlie Bucket, a poor boy whose family cottage lies within sight of Wonka's factory, dreams of becoming a winner - but with barely a penny to his name, does he have a chance?

What makes Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory such a success is the way it skillfully blends entertainment and a serious underlying moral. Each winning child is exposed as being rotten-to-the-core, then dealt with harshly and dismissively by Wonka. Seeing these awful brats get their come-uppance is hilarious, enjoyable and - on a serious level - quite eye-opening (it's as if parents in the audience are being told how to prevent their children from turning bad). Gene Wilder was simply born to play Wonka (every eccentric phrase, every bemused expression, and every mischievous glance is judged to perfection). The film's set design is fabulous, with particular high-spots including the chocolate room, the egg room and the wacky corridor which gets smaller and narrower the closer you get to the end. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is simply magic - a film that everyone must see, especially parents whose kids are just becoming that bit too big for their boots!

Most excellent works in the arts are seen and enjoyed at a variety of "levels." That is true of this movie in general and of Gene Wilder in specific.

Wilder has been known in the circles of movie creators as a creative genius for many years. Here, his acting ability showcases that genius. To be sure, at the level of good fun for kids and Moms and Dads, he comes through. But writers must have loved his work. Watch for the "look" in his eyes. You will see "changes" in them as he speaks or as he listens to the kids. Those unheard, barely seen changes can be read many ways. And that is the genius. They put more into the lines than the words themselves.

Art should be clearly and quickly understood. It should also be the tool used to make us wonder a bit. Think a little. Or find meaning we didn't see at first look.

In this movie, Gene Wilder's almost imperceptible nuances speak volumes.

"If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it." Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is one of the best children films of all-time. The characters, you all have to adore, even if their annoying or not. The film is about a boy who finds a golden ticket in a Willy Wonka chocolate bar and heads off to see the Willy Wonka factory with his grandpa and other people. Gene Wilder was great as Willy Wonka and his performance was quite funny and actually kind of weird. The kids were all great especially Augustus Gloop, he was hilarious. Overall, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is a classic and should be viewed by everyone.

Hedeen's Oulook: 9/10 ***+ A-

All the ideas that Rould Dahl puts into his book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" are here in an imaginative visual form appropriate to the time it was made. A lot of attention was paid to the sets and visual effects, clever special effects such as a trap door and miniturization testify to the care that the producers put into making this movie. The theme of the movie is difficult for adults. There are bad children in the world. They come from bad parents, they're not created by emulation, but rather the parents "produce them", much like chocolate is produced in a factory. The factory is populated by miniature people named oomphaloopas that remind the listener at intervals of Dahl's moral points: Too much TV is bad for children, books should be read instead, and children need to adhere to an ethical code of some sort in order to grow up strong. And who knew Gene Wilder had such a beautiful singing voice! The music is some of the best show music of it's time, including "The Candy Man".

It's Gene Wilder, at the top of his form, who made this unique imaginative adventure more vibrant and gleeful. His energetic performance is by no means different from Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins. He absolutely deserved ,at least, an Oscar nomination. The movie lost some of its sharpness and suffered from some monotony after some time from reaching the factory. But besides the gorgeous production design and cool visuals, there was Wilder's charisma that helped to elevate the movie. The first half of the movie has great emotional value, and established the characters very well. Also, it feature some of the most beautiful songs of the movie. But due to the fast pacing, there was an action in the first half that felt forced, if it was necessary to serve a turning point of the story.

There are many powerful and very important messages in the movie. But the greatest thing about them is not actually the messages themselves, as we witnessed them delivered in a lot of movies before, but it's how genuine these messages seem as they are delivered in this particular story. Peter Ostrum is great in his first and ,unfortunately, his last role. There are many dramatic scenes that required a very good actor and he is. Actually, I didn't feel for even a moment that this is his acting debut. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a total blast from start to finish. It's Scrumdiddlyumptious!

(8.5/10)