A Fantástica Fábrica de Chocolate

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)

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.

When I was a kid, my mom made me sit through this a trillion and one times. It's one of her favorites. I liked it well enough back then, but it's only now that I'm older that I can appreciate the true sinister glory of this movie. It's so deliciously creepy! For those who have to whine about how messed up it is, consider the original "Cinderella." Now that was awful. Willy Wonka is the stranger with a bag of chocolate that parents are always warning their kids about, but what he's really offering is a seductive nightmare in a kaleidescope of candy colors, a cautionary tale told with fairy story whimsy. I got it when I was 5, but the thrill didn't register. "A dirty trick on innocent children?" Some people out there obviously don't remember what it's really like to be a kid. Childhood is full of booby traps and the allure of the forbidden, and that which is evil frequently looks divine. "Willy Wonka" is about giving in and seeing the horrors and delights, the choices and pratfalls on the other side. It's disturbing because it strikes a certain primal chord: freedom and danger are entwined, and people have never wanted to associate children with either.

This is a hugely enjoyable film, based upon the book by Roald Dahl. The film does have a number of merits, especially the flawless performance of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, a characterisation that is charming and funny at the same time. Another standout is Jack Albertson as Grandpa Joe, his scenes with Charlie were lovingly realised, but in his song, he was just hilarious, and his singing voice was remarkably good. However, whereas Peter Ostrum is perfectly agreeable in terms of acting as Charlie, he is let down by his lack of any real singing ability. Though the film does look beautiful with excellent cinematography and colourful sets, and the supporting characters like the Oompa Loompas, the odiously spoilt Veruca Salt, television addict Mike Tevee and the rather disgusting Violet Bueragarde, are very well done, and the actors are further advantaged by a wonderful sparkling script. The songs are lovely, especially Oompa Loompa, Imagination and I want it Now, though I will say I felt Cheer Up Charlie was rather tedious and slowed the film down quite considerably. Overall, a beautiful film, and I do think it is underrated. 8/10 Bethany Cox.