Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Blu-ray Movie Review

Tim Burton's chewy candy center

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 5, 2011

It was once a place for pure imagination. Now, under Tim Burton’s care, it’s a madhouse again.

Willy Wonka’s (Johnny Depp) headline-seizing plan to spruce up his chocolate business is to plant five golden tickets randomly inside his signature bars, inviting the lucky winners to an exclusive tour of his vast candy factory. For poor Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore, “Finding Neverland”), chances of securing a ticket are slim, but luck is soon on his side; joining spoiled Veruca Salt (Julia Winter), competitive Violent Beauregard (Annasophia Robb), perpetually consuming Augustus Gloop (Philip Wiegratz), and violent Mike Teavee (Jordon Fry), Charlie meets Wonka, the reclusive, eccentric fellow behind the delicious, yet highly mysterious treats of the factory. As the tour commences, weird things start happening to the selfish, misbehaving children, leaving Charlie alone to deal with Wonka’s bizarre behavior, eventually tasked to help the mad genius sort out his own father issues.

If not exactly a classic film, Mel Stuart’s 1971 fantasy creation, “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” has stood the test of time with its tender realization of childhood sugar-high fantasies and morbid, goofball humor. With Gene Wilder at the helm of the considerable steerage of oddities, the loose Roald Dahl adaptation has aged as a major peculiarity from the generally peculiar 1970s, yet, at the same time, has remained wonderful. Over 30 years later, noted quirkmeister Tim Burton has taken up the challenge to bring the book (with the true “Charlie” title) to the screen again, and he’s out to claim the definitive cinema version for himself.

Taking time to compare the two productions is a fruitless quest. The Stuart film was fashioned in a sincere era of musicals, practical effects, and gee-whiz kid acting. Burton’s effort exists in a more cynical time, guided by a more sarcastic filmmaker. Opening with the familiar choral sounds of a Danny Elfman score backing the creation, by cold steel machines, of the Wonka bars, the tone is clearly set: this is no candy shop, and the candy man can’t. Burton has more in store for his audience than simple sweets and soft-shoe.

With a rapturous and meticulous production design, a tongue firmly planted in cheek, and the appearance of Christopher Lee as Willy’s disapproving dentist dad, this is a Burton film through and through. That being established, “Charlie” is a chilly affair, more concerned with technical prowess than a gushing heart or smoothly connected plot. For the most part, this change in focus is appetizing, for Burton’s take on Willy’s chocolate factory is a marvel, packed with infinite candy rooms, one staffed by nut-detecting squirrels; highlighting the singing, dancing, cocoa-bean worshiping Oompa Loompas (all played by movie MVP, Deep Roy, “The Neverending Story”); and offering a legitimate taste of danger as the kids test the boundaries of Wonka’s patience. While a good portion of the movie is sweetened with colorful CGI, Burton still palms the primal magic of Wonka’s wonderland with his broad, idiosyncratic visuals. The fantastical depth and semi-sinister verve he gives the factory is almost perfect.

Almost perfect can also be written of Johnny Depp, who steps out of the mile-long shadow of Gene Wilder to fashion his own twisted take on Willy. Since the tonal aim for “Charlie” isn’t pointed at the heart, Depp’s Wonka is rendered a strange, pale fellow who hates parents, is easily annoyed by children, and appears to be a germaphobe. Not exactly the winking teddy bear Wilder went after in his legendary performance, but Depp’s oddball acting fits heavenly with Burton’s vision, and the two team up yet again for another stimulating, wildly outrageous collaboration.

However, with Depp and the special effects taking the lead, poor little Charlie isn’t left with much to do. Freddie Highmore is an inspired choice for the unlikely Golden Ticket winner, and his English puppy dog demeanor does the film a world of good in the emotion department. Nevertheless, Burton keeps Charlie at arm’s length for the entire film, along with the other young actors (who aren’t nearly as interesting or natural as Highmore), leaving unfair comparisons to the broad but endearing acting work from the original incarnation to linger in the senses.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The VC-1 encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation brings about some mild confusion. It's important to understand the picture's soft look and artificial touches, which leave many of the younger characters and Wonka himself with a decidedly smooth appearance, looking at times like a DNR botch job. The deliberate "waxiness" can be deceiving. Details are acceptable throughout the feature, with terrific depth to the image, also offering great goopy particulars on the candy encounters. Human textures also register adequately, at least those outside of the cartoony airbrushed look, with reactions easily read, along with differences in age (there's wonderful facial character with the older actors) and make-up intensity. The visual effects also sustain their impact, with fine hair detail on the squirrels, along with subtle design changes within the team of Oompa-Loompas. Skintones are accelerated and varied, but feel appropriate. Clarity is good, offering a full sense of the image, with colors holding strongly, turning explosive during the factory visit, with all sorts of bold hues selling the intensity of the fantasy and the sweets superbly, leading with striking reds and purples. There doesn't appear to be any radical reduction applied to the image, with Burton's usual visual mischief more detectable on Blu-ray.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DolbyTrueHD sound mix carries the film's heavy fantasy workload quite well, starting with a natural, full feel for dialogue exchanges, which keep primarily frontal, opening up for group encounters, also gifted a nice echoed quality once inside various areas of the factory. Accents and verbal comedy are solid, without distortion. Directional activity is exceptional, from the chocolate-making robotics of opening titles to the frantic antics inside the factory rooms, offering a careful handle on supporting character movement and background bustle. Atmospherics are generous, with wintry exteriors supplying crunch and chill, while Oompa-Loompa interaction is offered some faint vigor while the tour commences. Speaking of the creatures, their musical numbers are the star of the show, widening the soundscape with a blast of crisp instruments and odd, but direct vocals, also triggering considerable low-end. The soundtrack sounds big, while scoring is more subdued, holding steady in the surrounds until directed to accentuate the moment.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• In-Movie Experience collects trivia, featurettes, and graphic-based tomfoolery, deploying the additions with a PIP presentation during the film.

• Audio Commentary with director Tim Burton is fairly typical of the filmmaker's previous conversations: some solid information and insight rudely divided by long gaps in silence. Despite his numerous contributions to home entertainment supplementary offerings, talking up his own work is not Burton's forte, leaving the track on the quiet side, with listeners spending more time hearing the movie play than the man who helped to create it. Fans of the director should find a few anecdotes amusing, but this is hardly a gripping overview of the picture's lengthy execution.

• "Chocolate Dreams" (6:57, SD) is a broad making-of featurette, focusing on the development and approach of the picture, which returned to the Roald Dahl book for inspiration, searching beyond the page to understand these characters and elongate the plot. Interviews with cast and crew are direct and brief, hitting only a few topics of discussion.

• "Different Faces, Different Flavors" (10:39, SD) talks up the casting of the picture, specifically Johnny Depp, who delighted the producers when he showed interest in the part. Also of significance is the discussion of the child actors, who are all interviewed here, sharing their passions and youthful energy. Some BTS footage is incorporated to convey the on-set spirit.

• "Designer Chocolate" (9:36, SD) sits down with production designer Alex McDowell, who walks through the various environments of the film, chatting up details and scale, exploring Burton's unique visual thumbprint. Set tours and footage of construction are also included. Focus soon moves over to costuming, exposing how Johnny Depp's Wonka look was assembled.

• "Under the Wrapper" (6:58, SD) investigates the enormous visual and practical effects struggle, isolating a handful of scenes from the film to clarify creative choices and construction challenges. Yes, the river of chocolate is real, involving quite a process to sustain the illusion.

• "Sweet Sounds" (7:17, SD) meets up with composer Danny Elfman, who discusses his participation in the aural presence of the feature, coming up with various musical genres to open up the Oompa-Loompa element of the film. There's also time spent with repetitive choreography, observing how the dances were worked out.

• "Becoming Oompa-Loompa" (7:16, SD) spotlights performer Deep Roy, a single actor employed to portray an entire community of Wonka workers. Asked to learn various vocational skills and musical instruments, Roy was the central figure of the visual effects, required to provide subtle differences between the Loompas. Also of interest is the creation of Deep Roy animatronics, used to keep CGI requirements down to a comfortable level.

• "Attack of the Squirrels" (9:49) isolates the incredible task of training the little critters for their big brawling scene with Veruca Salt. Squirrels wranglers are interviewed, along with Burton, who can't quite believe his nutty idea to stick with the real thing was implemented.

• "Fantastic Mr. Dahl" (17:42, SD) is a featurette devoted to the accomplishments and crazy tonality of the late writer's work. Close friends and family are interviewed, and some footage of the author is presented.

• Pre-Vis Augustus Gloop dance (2:06, SD) and Pre-Vis Mike Teavee Dance (1:32, SD) present two early passes at immense musical numbers, mixing crude CGI with footage of Deep Roy in rehearsals.

• Club Reel (2:54, SD) is a surreal Oompa-Loompa performance clip used to help promote the picture at dance establishments around Europe.

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:26, SD) is included.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" corrects many mistakes found in the Stuart film (the Oompas aren't creepily orange and green anymore, and the helmer has mercifully done away with the infamously bizarre, psychedelic boat trip sequence), along with raising the visual stakes for the more outlandish tangents of the story that needed it. Burton has created a genuinely amusing movie for the entire family, blessed with a zippy run time and extended narrative stay. Those tired of the Wilder warmth often associated with this ominous tale will rejoice over this icy stab at detailing Wonka's outrageous, mind-altering tour.