This second adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel meanders for the first 30 minutes until Johnny Depp takes center stage. His turn as the eccentric owner of the titular chocolate factory is a bravura performance. But then Depp specializes in playing oddballs. Who can forget his first outing with director Tim Burton as the digitally-challenged Edward Scissorhands? Charlie is Depp and Burton’s sixth joint venture and the film has already taken in USD 300 million worldwide.
This is a movie best appreciated on the big screen, so try the IMAX theater which has a format ten times larger than a conventional screen, and a massive sound system to boot (14,000 watts, to be exact).
Later, you might want to compare this with the 1971 version, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder in the title role. The latest version is true to Dahl’s novel, though it is somewhat lighter in tone than the book. However, any thought that Depp or Burton have lightened up permanently must be dispelled by the title of their recently released: Corpse Bride.
Warner Bros
IMAX at Peace Cinema/268 Xizang Middle Rd/63225252

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Chief editor: Steven Crane
November 2005 issue



Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
November 2005 issue