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All Movie Info
Starring:
Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Denise Nickerson, Roy Kinnear, Michael Bollner, Julie Dawn Cole, Peter Ostrum, Aubrey Woods, Aubrey Woods, Ursula Reit, Leonard Stone, Dodo Denney, Gunter Meisner
Directed By:
Mel Stuart
Written By:
Roald Dahl
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Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
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Movie Review by Jarrod 
April 24th, 2008
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"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' is a bizarre musical fantasy starring Gene Wilder as the title character, a reclusive candy maker whose products are enjoyed by millions of consumers the world over. This is the definitive adaptation of Roald Dahl's revered novel, but that may have to do with the fact that he wrote the screenplay himself, so none of the original magic was compromised. Wonka is a stupendous creation, and Wilder plays him to perfection. To call him eccentric would be a gross understatement. He is beyond eccentric, probably more on the edge of utter madness, but this is what makes him such a confectionary genius. His factory is filled with wondrous sights, indeed a place of pure imagination. Wonka holds a contest, hiding golden tickets in five special Wonka chocolate bars, and kids all around the globe compete furiously to find them; the prize is a guided tour of the Wonka factory. The person who wants it most is Charlie (Peter Ostrum), a poor yet honest boy who lives in a small house with his hard-working mother and bed-ridden grandparents. He is disappointed all but one is claimed, and then suddenly finds the last one, and arrives at the Wonka plant with Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson). Charlie is the only one of the winners who does not get on your nerves from the start. By far the most obnoxious is Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), as spoiled as brat as one could find, whose father used his factory workers to scour through hundreds of boxes of candy until a golden ticket was found. If Veruca wants something, she thinks she should get it instantly. Violet Beauregarde chews gum compulsively, trying to set a world record, and she also talks fast. Mike Teavee, obviously enough, is a TV junkie. Augustus Gloop has a voracious appetite. With the exception of Charlie, all of these children are to learn valuable lessons in a variety of strange and even slightly sadistic ways. Bad things happen to them, but they are not harmed, though the sight of Violet turning into a blueberry is a disturbing one indeed, and cannot be pleasant.
Then there are the creepy Oompa Loompas, little orange men who toil away as Wonka's workforce, taking a break every now and then to sing and dance, reminding the audience to avoid engaging in the kinds of behavior that led Veruca, Violet, Mike, and Augustus to their respective fates. There is a lot of singing, but this is a musical, and the songs themselves are nicely written, with a few that are particularly infectious and catchy. I wish we could have seen what happened to the other kids after their experiences in the factory, if they had changed for the better, but this is not something director Mel Stuart really cares too much about. We can be happy for the pure-hearted Charlie, though. The kids are supposed to represent, I suppose, some of the seven deadly sins, gluttony, wrath, greed, sloth, maybe envy and pride, too, and Charlie is all about virtue. It is none too subtle, but it has a quirky and affectionate charm to it, and I watched it a lot as a youngster, so it still has some nostalgic value.
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