Slightly more than a couple of hours later...

Categories: uncategorized

Tags: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, books, films, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Date: 07 September 2005 22:47:09

... Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was good, but not great. I was going to do an exciting comparative table detailing where it does better than 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory', but my technical support is busy at work having taken an extended lunch break to help me get my passport sorted (gah).

Here instead are the points where 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' wins:
- Charlie himself
- Sticking to the book better (although minus points for the tangential plot involving Christoper Lee which meant it finished awkwardly)
- The town and general scenery outside of the factory, very bleak, Burton on good form.
- Grandma Georgina
- The special effects (even taking into account the 30 year gap between the 2 films)

'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' however remains the better film, partly for these reasons:

- Willy Wonka himself
- The music (minus points for 'Cheer up Charlie' though)
- The Oompa Loompas
- Grandpa Joe
- The other children apart from Charlie

So there you have it. I was very pleased to recieve a special edition region 1 dvd of 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' for my wedding anniversary. It is the definitive version on film.

The book still wins hands down of course, preferably with illustrations by Faith Jaques rather than Quentin Blake, but that's a different story...