Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

 

Directed by Tim Burton, this is a musical movie released in 2005 is based on a book written by a renowned children novelist, short-story writer and a poet who wrote this book in the 1960s. He has been called “one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20^th century”. Consequently, the movie was a hit as well. Starring Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket, an eleven year old kid who comes from a destitute family and Johny Depp as Willy Wonka, the eccentric owner of a luxurious million dollar chocolate factory.

The best thing about this movie is that it kept the essence of the book it is based on, thanks to Tim Burton for doing an amazing job as a director. Charlie Bucket lives in a little cottage with is parents and grandparents (both maternal and paternal), the cottage has barely enough space for all of these people but Charlie is happy with it as his parents and grandparents love him very much and groom him with affection and passion which is reflected in Charlie’s character. Noah Taylor starring as Mr. Bucket used to work in a toothpaste factory and his job was to screw the lid on to the toothpaste tube until a machine was designed to do so after which he was laid off. Helena Bonham Carter, an excellent actress who has starred in similar movies such as Alice In Wonderland and Corpse Bride stars as Mrs. Bucket.

Willy Wonka being an eccentric chocolatier one day decides to launch five golden tickets packed into his chocolates and the five lucky kids who get them win an opportunity to visit his huge and opulent chocolate factory with one parent/guardian. As this news is heard by the public, all the kids go crazy in search of these golden tickets. Kids from rich families buy as many chocolates as possible just to get one of these five tickets. Charlie on the other hand is a little disheartened because he knows that he probably will not get the ticket because the chocolate itself is too expensive for him to ask for from his parents. Fortunately, he does get the ticket in an odd way. While he sits with his family to discuss this, his grandfather offers to go with him because he had worked in Willy Wonka’s factory long ago and it was special for him to go there again just for a visit. The other four kids Mike, Augustus, Veruca and Violet are rather spoiled kids who have always gotten everything they wanted but Charlie was a special kid and valued this very much because he thought he would never get the opportubity to go.

As these kids enter the factory and meet Willy Wonka for the first time, they realize how eccentric he really is because the factory has every kind of technology and luxury that one can imagine. From a chocolate river to a huge elevator moving vertically and horizontally, from a bubble flavor changing bubble to a holographic machine, and of course the iconic Oompa Loompas who are tiny factory workers his factory has everything one could imagine. The four kids being as spoiled as they were could not sustain through the whole journey because they did not listen to Willy Wonka when he would stop them from doing something. Charlie being the only one left impresses Willy Wonka and becomes close to him. Willy Wonka shares his childhood trauma with Charlie of how he never got along with his father because he hated Willy for eating candy all the time and offers Charlie to leave his family and join hands with him but Charlie denies his offer and tells him the importance of family. Willy Wonka visits his little cottage and befriends his family and becomes a part of their family too.

The ending in the movie is different from the one in the book, in which Willy Wonka with Charlie and his family shoots up into the sky in his elevator. I believe the ending in the movie is much better as it teaches young kids the importance of family and how one should never put anything specially money and luxury before their family. This is an iconic movie and is still watched by many even though it was released in 2005.