Willy Wonka Is Such a Dark Funny Movie
So shines a good deed in a weary world.
The world goes on chocolate overdrive when it's announced that famed candy maker, Willy Wonka, has put five golden tickets in his Wonka Bars. The lucky recipients of these tickets will be treated to a day out in the top secret Wonka factory, where they can see how the sweets are made, and if they are even luckier, they will get a lifetimes supply of free chocolate. Nobody wants a golden ticket more than Charlie Bucket, from a desperately poor family, Charlie has learned to accept his heritage with a grace and credibility not befitting most other children. So when a miracle upon miracles happens, and Charlie finds a golden ticket, it just may prove to be a turning point far beyond his wildest dreams.
They say that true love lasts a lifetime, so shall it be the case with Willy Wonka and myself. As a child I was captivated by the colours, the dream of myself being able to visit a magical place where sweets and chocolate roll off the production line purely for my ingestion. Songs that I memorised back in my youth have never left me, and now as a considerably middle aged adult male, I can still embrace, and feel the magic, whilst enjoying the darkly knowing aspects of this fabulous and wondrous black comedy.
Roald Dahl was quite a writer of note, and thankfully the makers here have brought his astute morality tale to vivid cinematic life. Director Mel Stuart, aided by his screenwriter David Seltzer, even manage to add to Dahl's wonderful story courtesy of a sinister outsider, who apparently in the guise of a rival corporation, will pay handsomely for a Wonka top secret, morality, greed and power all coming together in one big chocolate explosion. The greatest gift that Willy Wonka gives, tho, is that of the set designs and art direction, where in an almost hypnotically drug induced colourful world, Wonka's factory is a child's dream come true, however, peril is at every turn as life's lessons dolled out courtesy of the scarily cute Oompa Loompas.
Songs are provided by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricuse, with the sumptuous art coming from Harper Goff. Gene Wilder takes the lead role of Willy Wonka, magnetic and bordering on clued in madness, Wilder takes his rightful place in the pantheon of memorable performances performed in fantasy pictures. But ultimately it's the story and the way it appeals to every age group that makes Willy Wonka a prize treasure, the kids love it, while the adults watching with them will be wryly nodding and trying to suppress the onset of a devilish grin.
Pure magic is Willy Wonka, see it now in High Definition TV to fully realise the dream/nightmare on offer, oh oh I love it so. 10/10
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One of my all-time favourites.
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!
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Timeless.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a truly magnificent piece of filmmaking and remains one of the most fascinating and wonderful adventure films ever made. One of the things that makes this film so intriguing is that it could have been made at any time. I mean, just from watching it, you can't really tell when it was made. It has been one of my favorite films for almost 20 years now, and it wasn't until today that I actually realized when it was made. Watching it again last night, I had convinced myself that it was made sometime in the early to mid 80s, and I was shocked to find out that this year is the movie's 30 year anniversary. Until now, pretty much the only movie I associate with 1971 is A Clockwork Orange, and it's just strange for some reason to find out that this classic movie was made so long ago.
At any rate, Willy Wonka is a tremendously imaginative and inspiring film. It's a family film, but one of the most important aspects of a family film is that it has to be enjoyable for a variety of ages. This is what makes movies like Toy Story and Shrek such huge successes- the adults will love it just as much as the kids are sure to. Hence: `family' film. On the other hand, this is also the downfall of such other movies that are strictly for a much younger audience, like Cats & Dogs. The makers of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory understood this very well, and you can see that just by the way that the cast is divided. Here are all of these kids (funny how it was only kids who found those golden tickets…) who were at this candy factory, and they had each elected to bring one of their parents with them as the one admissible member of their family who was allowed by Wonka to accompany them to the factory.
One of the best elements of this film is the excellently written script and, even more, the songs. These are some of the best songs in any movie ever made, rivaling even the best of the songs from Disney's films (hey, some of them are really good…). There are, of course, some exceptions, such as `Cheer up, Charlie,' which I have been fast-forwarding through for as long as I can remember, but for the most part, the songs are fun to listen to and they pertain to life outside the movie. They are not just songs about the candy-making genius of Willy Wonka or the excitement of being able to tour his mysterious factory, but they are about life in the real world. They're about believing in yourself and being motivated in life (`Anything you want to, do it. Want to change the world, there's nothing to it…'), but there are also some that have to do mostly with the movie but are still just as enjoyable, such as the classic song that Wonka sings in the tunnel on board his boat (curiously named `Wonkatania'), which was creepily covered by Marilyn Manson a couple of decades later.
The dialogue in the film contains some of the most interesting little tidbits in the entire movie. Wonka's lines, in particular, are wonderfully strange and amusing (`A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men.'). He is a truly eccentric and fascinating man, and Gene Wilder captures the character flawlessly, as he delivers the lines from the brilliantly written script. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of those rare movies that comes along and completely changes the way that fantasy films are made. It's all about having fun in life and being hopeful against all odds and, most of all, being able to have fun in life. There are times when you have to let things go for a while and just act like a kid. Eat candy, run around and play, steal fizzy lifting drinks and bump into the ceiling that now has to be washed and sterilized, it doesn't matter as long as no one's looking. That's such a trivial little quirk of Wonka's (who sterilizes their ceiling?) that it becomes obvious that the movie is trying to say that it's okay to break the rules every once in a while. Have fun in life.
Besides being absolutely mouth-watering (to this day, I still fantasize about sinking my teeth into one of those gigantic gummy bears), the movie is an uplifting adventure that warms the heart and sends people of all ages away with fairy tale candies dancing in their heads and wonderful songs just behind their lips. It is an always-welcome vacation from reality for people of all ages, and it should always be remembered and loved for that. This movie will ALWAYS be a must-see.
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Pure Goodness!
Anyone could love this film and I don't see how you couldn't fall in love with Willy Wonka. This is without a doubt one of the most charming movies of all time that is still to this day one of the most enjoyed movies for a family night. Despite it's dark little messages, it still made light of everything and made this movie "satisfying and delicious".
You'll see a world of pure imagination and will absolutely fall for Willy Wonka. Gene Wilder is a comedic genius who will forever be the timeless Willy Wonka. He played it so well and made it look so easy. All the kids were amazing as well, I mean the boy who played Charlie was so adorable and you felt so awful for him. You just wished for his deepest wishes to come true. The sets are also just fantastic and so yummy to look at. On of my favorite scenes was with the "inventing room", all the amazing gizzmo's. I also loved how we took a peek into Wonka's madness when he throws a shoe into a boiling water pot and says "It gives it a little kick". One of my favorite lines of all time is "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker".
The film is not only great to look at but it has terrific and catchy songs that will be stuck in your head and find yourself humming down the street. This is going to be a timeless classic that I can't wait to show my future children.
10/10
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Gene Wilder!
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)
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Charming, and hugely enjoyable!
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.
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A Good Message In Which Goodness Prevails
When I first saw this movie on VHS in the late '80s, I was shocked. A '70s movie with a GOOD message?? I couldn't believe it. The message: kids - be honest and be trustworthy and don't be obnoxious; parents - don't spoil your kids or they'll quickly turn out to be brats.
Wow, no wonder liberal critics like Leonard Maltin trashed this film. It was not the normal message being delivered in movies, which usually trashes the good and glorifies the bad. That's what makes this story refreshing, and the same goes for the re-make that was released in 2005.
Peter Ostrum plays the likable Charlie and is very good. He's one of the nicest kids ever put on screen and was a fine actor. It's kind of surprising this was the only film he ever did! Jack Albertson does a nice job of Charlie's loving grandpa and so do the bratty kids, especially the English girl who is so bad you have to laugh at her.
The first part of the story was a good satire on how people sometimes make trivial things so important and how the news media gets carried way with stupid issues. (Wow, look at it now!) The second half of the story is intriguing because of the co-star of the film: Willy Wonka - a no-nonsense candy maker who doesn't put up with the brats - was fascinating to watch. (The critics thought he was too nasty.) Gene Wilder is excellent as Willy. Yes, he has a bit of a mean streak to him but his comments are fun to hear and on the money despite his lack of verbal tact. Most people prefer Wilder's version of "Wonka," by the way, over the bizarre-but- talented Johnny Depp's.
This was an entertaining film that should keep your interest. It's also an interesting comparison to the 2005 movie. Frankly, I enjoyed both.
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"WE are the music-makers, and WE are the dreamers of dreams!"
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.
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The Candy Man
Even with Johnny Depp's darker portrayal of Willy Wonka of more recent vintage out there, what Gene Wilder did with the part stands out as the definitive Wonka for our times. I'm willing to bet that more families rent this one than Johnny Depp's.
In Roald Dahl's children's fantasy the great candymaker Willy Wonka locked up his candy factory because of industrial spying by his competitors. No one goes in or out except the raw material and the candy. Now however it's worldwide news that Wonka is opening his giant River Rouge GM like plant for five lucky adolescent tourists. They will be determined by five lucky golden tickets found in Wonka Bars.
That fifth one goes to Peter Ostrum who takes the tour with his grandfather Jack Albertson. The other kids who are showing various degrees of spoiled also have adult companions.
The four other kids, well they don't quite finish the trip. As they rather colorfully drop out Gene Wilder has some snarky comments. Accompanied by the pygmy tribe of Oompa-Loompas who Willy Wonka moved from their Pacific island home to work in his factory. This part I thought was truly stretching it as these little guys look a whole lot like slaves working on the old plantation.
The film got an Oscar nomination for Best Musical Scoring and the song The Candy Man became a big old hit for Sammy Davis, Jr.
After almost 50 years the Candy Man can and is still doing it.
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A classic
"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-
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If this movie sucks, then I'm a vernicious canid. (spoilers)
Warning: Spoilers
'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' has withstood the test of time. And though quite dated, it is still a widely enjoyed film (with good reason!). This movie had a magnificent performance by Gene Wilder as Wonka, a wonderful story and great art direction for its day as they brought all of the awesome things at the Wonka factory to life (how cool it would be if you could actually go to a place like that), to being a superb musical.
The story is that of a famed chocolate manufacturer, Willy Wonka, who's factory is a magical secret that was shut down when competing candy companies kept trying to infiltrate the factory with their spies who wanted hold of the ingredients that made Wonka's candy the most novel and ultimately, the most novel. Of course, Wonka has a change of heart, and decides to hold a contest whereby the people who can find one of the five golden tickets randomly (maybe, all of the winners were conveniently children, four of which had horrible manners) in Wonka candy. It could be anywhere.
One by one, it seems that the tickets are being found, particularly by obnoxious kids who are all about the same age. (Veruca Salt, the most horrid and funniest of them all, would later inspire a late 90s alternative band). The selfish British brat, the slothy German boy, the record gumchewer with the sleazy car salesman father, and the boy who lives in front of the television. And there's only one ticket left. Meanwhile, a pathetic, depressed little boy named Charlie Bucket wants nothing more than to get hold of one of those tickets and witness the magic of the Wonka factory. Well, cheer up Charlie, because its about to happen.
The trip in Wonka is more than just an invitation for unrivaled fun, however. It is a test. One of Wonka's rivals known as Slugworth, has promised a valuable sum to each of the children who steal from Wonka one of his newest inventions -- an Everlasting Gobstopper-- so that his company might steal the ingredients. Will all remain loyal to Slugworth?
This is one of Gene Wilder's best performances, perfectly making the Wonka character his own. This was also the movie that introduced to the world the cautionary cult favorite midgets known as the Oompa Loompas, slaves who were rescued by Wonka to...well serve as his slaves. And, serving as a brief psychedelic inject into the events in the factory, make the lessons learned more obvious than they could have already been.
Charlie Bucket's character, however, could not be written to be more pathetic, as though the filmmakers were absolutely sure that this was the kid you had the most sympathy for. From the mother working in the laundry hand-washing clothes, to the bare one room house and the enormous bed shared by all of the grandparents with counterpart names, to Charlie's constantly furrowed brow and curled lip.
But, aside from this minor flaw, the movie has so many memorable things about it. I particularly like the Dr. Suess-esque setting. I can see why Tim Burton might be asked to be the next to recreate the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as the original looked like his style to begin with (like the foamy float machine or the bizarre sequence where Wonka appears to go momentarily mad). Nonetheless, may the legacy of the first live on for years to come. It is still one of the greatest family films ever made.
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Simply indispensable
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".
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One of the most twisted and subversive children's fantasy musical films ever made
Warning: Spoilers
Five children from different walks of life win golden tickets that enable them to partake on a tour of an elaborate candy factory run by eccentric recluse Willy Wonka (superbly played to the creepy and quirky hilt by Gene Wilder).
Director Mel Stuart and screenwriter Roald Dahl use the deceptively pleasant premise as a means to turn the concept of the breezy and innocuous escapist fantasy musical that's fun for the entire family completely on its ear by presenting four hideously obnoxious kids -- Julie Dawn Cole's petulant and pampered rich bitch Veruca Salt, Michael Bollner's gluttonous Augustus Gloop, Denise Nickerson's rude gow-chewing Violet Beauregarde, and Paris Themmen's addled boob tube addict Mike Teevee -- who are terrible toxic products of too lenient and/or indulgent parents and hence wholly deserving of the harsh fates that befall them. Mostly importantly, while protagonist Charlie Bucket (a fine and likeable performance by Peter Ostrom) is a basically decent and honest boy, he isn't bereft of a few flaws himself.
Director Stuart deftly crafts a light, yet dark and sardonic tone as well as keeps the immensely entertaining story moving along at a brisk pace. Dahl's clever script not only provides lots of sparkling witty lines and sharply drawn characters, but also offers a potent and provocative central message concerning morality and responsibility. Moreover, it's acted with zest by an enthusiastic cast, with especially stand-out contributions from Jack Albertson as the doting Grandpa Joe, Roy Kinnear as the long-suffering Mr. Salt, Leonard Stone as the crass Mr. Beauregarde, and Gunter Meisner as the sinister Mr. Slugworth. Kudos are also in order for Arthur Ibbetson's vibrant cinematography and the marvelously catchy songs by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. A sheer delight.
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Sweet as chocolate!
With the brand-new version of Tim Burton coming up, I thought it would be appropriate to watch the very first film-adaptation of Roald Dahl's popular children-novella first. Over 30 years old already, but this charming and moralistic fairy-tale still is a joy for all senses, with its likable main characters, exhilarating songs and valuable life-lessons. The movie might start out a little slow and overly dramatic with the extended portrait of the poor Charlie Bucket who has to work in order to support his family and he can only secretly dream about winning a grand tour in the wonderful chocolate factory owned by the mysterious Willy Wonka. But, when the miracle than occurs and Charlie walks into the factory together with four greedy kids, the movie REALLY takes off! The children and their adult companions are guided through the colorful landscapes and ingenious techniques of Wonka-world, where chocolate flows in rivers and candy bars can be taken out of TV-screens. This is a very fun movie and Dahl's rich but bizarre imagination is wonderfully put to the screen by Mel Stuart. The set pieces are magnificent and they really have the true magical feel of fantasy. Typical for Roald Dahl's work also is the slightly sinister and horrific touch, which is perfectly illustrated here in the unsettling boat-ride-through-the-cavern sequence. This particular scene is perhaps the most memorable one of the entire movie because of it's great use of sound and lighting! New surprises and eccentric plot-twists are provided every couple of seconds and Gene Wilder's jolly (but tempered) performance as the extravagant factory-owner really makes this movie complete. I can only hope the 2005 version will be as fabulous as this but I'm quite sure it will be. After all, if there's one team able to re-tell this insanely great tale, it has got to be Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is like a big bar of chocolate: delicious...and you're never too old to enjoy it!
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One of my all time favorites...
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory: ****
"Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" is a wonderful movie that should be viewed by everyone. It is one of my personal favorites.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is about a poor boy named Charlie (Peter Ostrum). His life is horrible. But one day, he hears the news that Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) is sending out five golden tickets and then letting the winners go into his factory. The first four winners are Augustus Gloop (Michael Bollner), Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson), and Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen). Charlie then wins the fifth golden ticket by luck.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is visually stunning and cleverly written. The songs are remarkable. The whole movie is a fun journey through the chocolate factory. It is very enjoyable, fun, and clever. The scenery and props are eye candy.
The most underrated character in the movie is Mr. Turkentine. He is only in three scenes, but everytime he is on screen he is hilarious. I love the quote: "I've just decided to switch our Friday schedule to Monday, which means that the test we take each Friday on what we learned during the week will now take place on Monday before we've learned it. But since today is Tuesday, it doesn't matter in the slightest." He is very, very funny.
Julie Dawn Cole plays Veruca so well. She is so bratty and she is one of those characters that you hate so much you love them. Roy Kinnear (who will be missed) is hysterical as her father. The whole movie is funny in it's own odd and strange way. It is a classic that will be treasured for many years to come.
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Great movie but Grandpa Joe is evil
Warning: Spoilers
What can I say? Grandpa Joe is a slacker who faked a disease so that his child could take care of him in his infirmity and then has a miraculous recovery when his grandson finds the golden ticket. He also nearly loses the grand prize for Charlie by counseling him to commit industrial espionage by giving the everlasting gobstopper to Slugworth. After Charlie decides against GJ's nefarious plan, he wins the contest and is rewarded with the factory. When Wonka tells Charlie he can move in immediately, GJ exclaims "Me too?" I'm still waiting for the true life sequel where Grandpa Joe wrests control of the factory from Charlie and "disposes" of him and the family.
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I Miss Gene Wilder.
A childhood favorite. I'll never forgive Johnny Depp and all involved in that war crime of a remake.
This is the first time I've rewatched this movie in nearly a decade, maybe more (and even longer since I've read the book). I had completely forgotten about most of the scenes prior to Charlie finding the ticket. I'm sure as a kid, I probably found these scenes really boring, but now as an adult I have a whole new appreciation for them. So many clever and funny moments that went over my head as a child.
Everything else that I do remember is just as good if not better, including the Pure Imagination scene, which (as a fat kid) is one of my favorite of all time.
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Gene Wilder revealed...
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.
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"Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker."
Warning: Spoilers
I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie but I'm pretty sure it wasn't what I wound up viewing. I thought I would like the general feel of the thing but something about the movie felt off kilter. Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) seemed mean spirited at times, and almost indifferent at others, giving me the impression that the picture over all wasn't that kid friendly. I mean, four out of the five Golden Ticket winners wound up transported to some never never land never to be heard from again, while Charlie (Peter Ostrum) had to take it on the chin with his grandfather (Jack Albertson) for swiping some of the fizzy lifting drinks. That he wound up inheriting the Chocolate Factory seemed almost like a consolation prize given the tenor of the story.
I did like the idea of the Golden Ticket contest, and have to wonder why more companies didn't follow up on the idea after this movie came out. It seemed like it would drive a lot of business and create excitement about a company's products. There's no denying the sets are colorful and imaginative, yet they seemed strangely surreal and fake at the same time. When I think back to the creativity on display in a film like "The Wizard of Oz" made three decades earlier, it's like this film didn't put the era's technology and artistry to any kind of use to look more polished.
The thing is, the movie held out a lot of promise with the opening scenes of chocolate candy being made on a variety of assembly lines pumping out bars and candy kisses. And the scene in the candy shop took me back to the good old days of my youth when penny candy was the rule. I kind of feel sorry for today's youth who can't ever experience the thrill and/or frustration of making such a fateful decision with just a few available pennies in the sweaty palm of their hand. If you could pick up four of five pieces of penny candy today for under a buck you'd probably be lucky.
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In my personal top 5 movies!
I admit, for a grown man of 51, this is still a guilty pleasure...and I think my wife knows why.
From the first time I saw it on network television in 1976, I just knew I wanted to find a golden ticket to the Wonka factory. Heck, I was just 9 back then, but this movie remains a wonder, 40+ years later. Not only do I have it now on DVD, I can sit through this endlessly. That's how good it is to me.
Gene Wilder, who plays Wonka, is a very believable character here. I admire the way he portrayed his role as being one of "pure imagination", just as the storyline goes. The same goes for the entire cast. I had read Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator', and this is so much like it.
But...why my guilty pleasure? I have to snicker when I told her that both Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt) and Denise Nickerson (Violet Beauregard) were my very first childhood crushes. She doesn't get mad, she just does when I watch the movie so much...for that reason. This is a very wonderful movie, has always been so close to my heart, and that's where it always will stay. As long as there is "pure imagination" indeed.
Awesome indeed.
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I've Never Forgot This Film
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a beautiful film which I can still watch today and enjoy.
Before I saw this movie I had read the book entitled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and it was magic. As for this film, it was pure fantasy.
Anybody can enjoy this film whether they be aged 10 or 100. I loved fantasy as a child and being whisked off to worlds with magic and wizards and strange creatures. Willy Wonka is set on Earth but not the Earth we know of. Willy Wonka's world is beautiful. Wonka is a benevolent old chocolate maker who invites some kids round to his chocolate factory where they can see all his delights and visit his magical world.
The really great thing about a film like this is how it can whisk you off to another world. Forget whatever troubles you've got, forget about those bills you have to pay, forget about sitting in rush hour traffic every morning and just enjoy this magical film which whisks you off to another world, a world where dreams come true, a world where there is nothing but love and magic. I can guarantee that whoever watches it will be taken in by the magic.
Simply beautiful!
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Great film better than the 2005 remake
Warning: Spoilers
The first time I saw this film was about 15 years ago when I was at school. This is about Charlie Bucket winning a ticket to go to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory with 4 other children. As a kid I found it frightening when Violet turned blue when she had that gum that wasn't meant to be chewed. I liked the songs in the film, I used to find the song Cheer Up Charlie boring but I like it better now I'm older. As much as I love Johnny Depp I thought this version was better than the 2005 remake. Roald Dahl may of disapproved of the film but I thought it was great. I think the all the cast members did a great performance. The one scene that I found boring was when Charlie and his Grandad stole fizzy lifting drink and was floating in the air.
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fantastic
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has got to be one of the people's most fantastic movies ever i think. I really enjoyed this movie and it was very good and magical. This movie was a movie that was made into one of Roald Dahl's books. I think Roald Dahl was a great author, he wrote some fantastic stories and those stories were made into films. I give this movie 10 out of 10 because i just think that it is fantastic and very enjoyable to watch.
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Wonderful
FKDZ 19 March 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed finally seeing this movie in full. I never really saw the whole movie throughout these years, lots of bits but never the full thing. Now my first contact with the story was with the remake. Which isn't great but not terrible either. But this movie is on another level. The level you wish for when putting on a fantasy family film.
The musical sections are so well done, I love how they are kept contained and they make them that much more personal when they need to be. Normally I kind of daze off when the musical section gets so big and random folk start to join in, but that's never the case here. The characters are just 10/10 I love all of them. From the annoying to the charming and kind. You simply cannot not find Charlie endearing, and his grandpa just as much. And talking about the musical aspect, the songs here are fantastic and as we have all experienced: so very memorable.
The directing is surprisingly fresh, I love the special sections during the Oompa Loompa songs. With the funky text and framing. The directing overall is simply great, something to say coming from a director that had only done documentaries before.
Any moment with Wilder is one you want to hold on to and never end. His performance is enchanting and something you keep looking forward to. But it didn't overshadow the others as I enjoyed them just as much.
The comedy imo, still works. There's a ton of quick jokes that would fly over a kids head. So there is much to laugh here not just at the slapstick humor that's there for the kids but also the comedy within the dialog.
The set design.. I don't think there is much to say other than that it's art. Whilst the Tim Burton remake has this quality as well, the practicality in the original here has that extra something. Even though you could see some of the candy as being red tubing or balloons, for some reason the authenticity is endearing towards the whole movie.
Overall I really enjoyed my time with this classic.
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A lovely little film
I have always liked this film. Despite the new film (which I like even more), I still enjoy the old fashioned aspects of this film. For 1971, it's pretty good children's fare--much better than crap from the same era (such as CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and DR. DOOLITTLE). Some may find all the singing annoying or complain that the songs are not the ones Roald Dahl wrote in the book (which appear in the remake), I still found them catchy and cute. In fact, I have no major complaints other than the stupid sequence where they are on the boat. All the awful and pointless images projected across the screen look cheap and gratuitous--unlike the rest of the film.
However, I think that the BEST thing to do is to watch this and the recent remake and think of them as totally different movies. The 1971 film is a bit saccharine and kitschy but is still fun and memorable. The new Johnny Depp version is much darker and full of modern special effects. And, as a result they are so different, it's worth watching them both and DON'T compare them--just enjoy.
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Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/reviews
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