Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Last night, I went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, since D was out of town, and she had said she had less-than-zero interest in seeing it.

There's been a lot of talk about how much "darker" it is than the Gene Wilder film, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". Yes, it is very much a darker film than the Wilder film, but it's important to note that "Willy Wonka" and "Charlie" are both adaptations of Roald Dahl's novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Dahl writes fairy-tales of a sort, the same sort as originally written by the Brothers Grimm -- the sort of fairy tale that isn't afraid at all the scare the living shit out of a kid in order to make a point.

Dahl's book was just as dark as any of the original Grimm Brothers fairy tales, and Tim Burton's revisiting of the story finally does the book justice. Certainly, the Wilder version was "passable", even "fun", but Burton's version stays more true to Dahl's original work, and the quality shows.

Deep Roy as (all of) the Oompa Loompas was some of the best casting in the movie, although really every one of the actors in question was extraordinarily good at getting into their roles.

I'm not sure I'd take really young children to this movie (as I saw some people doing) but it's definitely something not to be missed.