New Wonka Movie

Didn't like it...

I have to give an opposing viewpoint, unfortunately. SPOILERS AHEAD, so be forewarned.

I LOVE the book. I can practically quote whole sections of dialogue. When I heard that a film was being made that would be more true to the text, I was really excited. Maybe too excited. I set myself up for dissapointment.

The visuals were gorgeous, yes. Nobody does surrealistic landscapes like Tim Burton. And Freddie Highmore was brilliant, of course. I loved everything up to the point of entering the factory.

The critics have made much of the macabre Tim Burton being the perfect choice to capture the wacky creepiness of the original text, but I personally think his approach was all wrong. The way he had Wonka portrayed just ruined the film for me. Here's the problem in a nutshell:

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
READ NO FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Depp's Wonka was moody, depressed, unapproachable, nervous, and psychologically wounded. You are given a silly and unnecessary backstory about his dysfunctional childhood with his dentist father - a contrived and nauseating plot device used to drum up some kind of moralistic "family" theme for the film, which the story doesn't need. It takes away all of Wonka's mystery and turns him into a lonely, sad, twisted personality, malicious and unlikable. Yeah, the weirdness and eccentricities of the character are there, but all the psychoanalyzing makes them annoying rather than funny. Burton tries to make us understand a character that Dahl never meant for us to understand.

Dahl's Wonka is the antithesis of Depp's depressed portrayal. In the book, Wonka is a fireball of energetic joy; unpredictable and mysterious, he exudes the confidence of a man fully in control of his own private world - a world he created not out of some Neverland-complex of escapism but simply because he WANTED to. That's what makes him so appealing to kids - he's an adult who deliberately and delightfully behaves like a child, saying and doing the things they would love to be saying and doing to the adults around them, and living in a world of his own imagination. The book Wonka is, indeed, creepy - not from maliciousness, but from his inability to express anything but manic glee, even when catastrophes are befalling his guests. You get the impression that the seeming chaos of his world belies an underlying order kept in complete control by the whizzing mind of its creator. Warmth and optimism pervades the story even in its darkest moments. There was none of either in this film - at least, where Wonka was concerned.

I just feel like Burton took the heart out of the story. The movie is all weirdness and no warmth. I wanted so badly to love this film, it hurts to say all this. But just my honest opinion.
 
Sunrise said:
I just feel like Burton took the heart out of the story. The movie is all weirdness and no warmth. I wanted so badly to love this film, it hurts to say all this. But just my honest opinion.
Click to expand...
I know what you mean, Wonka wasn't Wonka. I still thought Johnny Depp was hilarious, but the end was twisted, it just wasn't right. I was frustrated in that aspect, the biggest change Tim Burton made was Wonka, and because of the changes he made to Wonka, about his past and such, the rest of the movie had to be changed. They made Wonka seem prejudice to parents, and not happy to see the children. The way he greeted the childeren frustrated me.

I enjoyed the movie even though it wasn't the same as the book. It had some witty remarks in it which I thought were funny.
 
borntofly said:
I know what you mean, Wonka wasn't Wonka. I still thought Johnny Depp was hilarious, but the end was twisted, it just wasn't right. I was frustrated in that aspect, the biggest change Tim Burton made was Wonka, and because of the changes he made to Wonka, about his past and such, the rest of the movie had to be changed. They made Wonka seem prejudice to parents, and not happy to see the children. The way he greeted the childeren frustrated me.

I enjoyed the movie even though it wasn't the same as the book. It had some witty remarks in it which I thought were funny.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I did chuckle at Wonka's "cannibalism" lecture. ;)
 
I saw it this past Sunday on the IMAX screen.....with the exception of my youth group sittin' one row off from being PRACTICALLY in front of the screen, I LOVED IT!

Yeah---Johnny was a bit freakish, but I enjoy the music---in fact, I'm stupid but I'm sittin' @ our library in the county and listening to the sampler of the soundtrack......The music by Elfman never seems to brighten my day. I will say this much--Children under ten really should be advised. I found certain things that may bother them. However, the humor is so much better than the original!!!! I found it interesting that Elfman is a genius once more--he applied each of the songs that fit the children perfectly....The gag by using "THE BEATLES" for Veruca was brilliantly planned. I will give this movie a good thumbs up, esp. if you are a Tim Burton/Danny Elfman/Johnny Depp trio fan.

Gabie/Amye
 
did you notice that Danny Elfman did the vocals for all the oompa loompas? and for the "Willy Wonka Welcome" song?
 
Dragon said:
did you notice that Danny Elfman did the vocals for all the oompa loompas? and for the "Willy Wonka Welcome" song?
Click to expand...


Yes, I did!!!! I was laughing the whole entire time in my head when we left the IMAX theater. That's a LOT for him to do that........But as I've said before, Elfman is-------((STEALIN' A PHRASE FROM THE MOVIE)) "WOW!"

:D Amye :D
 
I saw it for the second time, this morning before I went to volleyball, and it made my day. I'm such a dork I was laughing my head off at practice and I got some strange looks. This time I paid more attention to the oopma loompas and their songs. Veruca's song is by far my favorite! I'm glad the songs were so close to the book to. I like Elfman.
 
ok, just saw this in london, by the way thats totally not cool. It cost like eleven frickin pounds plus and thats for the crappy seats. Yeah i'm upset about that. Anyways, loved the movie though, need to see it at home or something though, so i'll buy it, lol.

tg
 
tgraveline said:
ok, just saw this in london, by the way thats totally not cool. It cost like eleven frickin pounds plus and thats for the crappy seats. Yeah i'm upset about that. Anyways, loved the movie though, need to see it at home or something though, so i'll buy it, lol.

tg
Click to expand...

£11!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man - what cinema did you go to!?!?

I went to see it last Fri, and thought it were alright - but really just a remake of the original. However!!! I have a famous connection from that film!

My dad has had tea with the guy who played Veruca's dad - he used to go to a church in Leeds. He's called James Fox I think.
 
some frickin odeon one, it was the only one we found that had the movie. I felt torn apart by that deal. Could have bought four dvds for that price.

tg
 
I saw the book at the store and flipped through it, really considering buying it. It's amazing how much closer the new movie is to the book than the "original" movie. (even down to Grandpa Joe telling the story of the Indian prince.) I still may go buy the book when I get money again. Though from your post, it seems you don't have high thoughts about it. Ah well. Different people have different likes.
 
Last edited:
S'a bit off subject, but I saw Finding Neverland last week and thought Mr. Depp was brilliant. I also thought the movie was amazing and, although I'm terribly embarrassed to admit it, I had to do the bite your lip REALLY hard so that you dont start blabbing thing..... :o
 
Back
Top