Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Starring: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum
Written by: Roald Dahl
Director: Mel Stuart
Year: 1971

Rating: * * * * 1/2  Stars       +       (Fan Bonus * )  Total: * * * * * 1/2

The magical world of Willy Wonka comes to breathtaking life in this timeless classic that speaks to the child in all of us.

Willy Wonka, the reclusive chocolateer is known the world over by his wonderfully delicious candy. Yet, no one has seen or heard from him in decades. Young Charlie's curiosity is peaked when a tinkerer shows him how Wonka's factory seems to be in full production, yet no one comes in, and no one ever comes out. So how does the candy get to the stores?

Suddenly an announcement, Willy Wonka has issued five golden tickets, hidden inside five candy bars. Holders of the tickets will win a lifetime supply of chocolate, plus a tour of the factory to see how the candy is made. And so begins Charlies chocolate adventure.

Gene Wilder is absolute gold as the title character. One part mad-hatter, one part magician, Willy Wonka takes the kids and their parents on a tour of his facility that is as much of a madhouse as it is a production floor. Make no mistake, Willy Wonka is insane. But his insanity isn't dangerous. Rather, being isolated from society for so long has given him more clarity of the human heart and a wisdom only attained from observation, rather than scholastic study. Inside his domain, Wonka has created his own reality, and his imagination has yielded a world unto himself. A world he has shared through his candy. In many ways, Wonka thinks as a child thinks, yet has a maturity well beyond his years.

Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum), an English lad, is as poor as they come. With no Father, his Mother raises him as well as caring for Charlies four sickly Grandparents. Yet, despite being poor, Charlie is a noble, caring, and ethical kid. He wins one of the golden tickets, and as such takes his favorite, Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson), with him.

The other four children and their parents are fully engrossing characters that are just fun to watch. First there's Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), another native of England, who is delightfully villainous as a spoiled-brat rich kid who wants everything, and everything now. Audiences will grow to hate her, yet feel a sense of pity for her Father, Mr. Salt (Roy Kinear), who only wants to make his daughter happy. Being an industrialist, he lavishes his wealth upon his daughter. Like Doctor Frankenstein, he regrets the monster he created, and is in a constant state of panic fearing another tantrum from his daughter. Mike TeeVee is a loud, boisterous kid from America who spends all his free time watching television. His Mother, a geography teacher, is almost proud of the fact that her sons education comes from cartoons, westerns, and serials. Augustus Gloop is the chubby son of a German sausage maker, and has an insatiable appetite. Finally there's Violet Beauregarde, an obnoxious gum chewer who's Father is a conniving politician and used car salesman. 

As Willy Wonka guides these ten guests throughout his factory, their politeness wears off and their nature comes out. And one by one, the kids cause their own accidents eliminating them from the remainder of the tour. Willy Wonka seems to have this all prearranged, as a test for each child. Only one passes. But hopefully, the losers have been taught a valuable lesson. As for the winner, the lifetime supply of chocolate is only the beginning, for Willy Wonka is looking to pass the torch, and hand the factory over to a new generation.

Operating with a modest budget, the sets and costumes are bright, vivid, and imaginative. From the main room where everything is edible, to the chocolate waterfall, the Wonka-tania boat, fizzy lifting drinks, and the geese that lay golden chocolate eggs, this movie will capture your imagination. You will swear that there were moments you could actually smell the candy. Willy Wonka's nonsensical wisdom dominates the parents world-weary comprehension and the children's perceptive experiences, making for comical and poignant moments throughout the film. For example, when Veruca sarcastically asks, "Who ever heard of snozberries?", Willy grabs her by her face and gently replies, "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."

Full of wonderful musical numbers, the Oompa-Loompa songs above all will stay in your head for years to come. As each child succumbs to temptation, the Oompa's gather around and sing a cautionary tale tailored to each kid and his or her vice.

In 2005, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp collaborated to bring about a remake named Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While the special effects expanded the breadth and scope of the factory, the movie has no soul. The kids are not as engaging, the Oompa-Loompa song is near undecipherable, and the kids have learned nothing from their follies.

If you haven't seen this film yet, you owe it to yourself, and your kids, to see it. If you've seen it before, see it again. You can't help but be placed in a better, more scrumdiddlyuptious mood afterwards.

SEE THE TRAILER: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory