Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
May. 13th, 2010 12:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bedlamsbardBecause I am apparently on that kind of kick, I watched the 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory last night, and after the initial shock of, wait, this came out in 2005? I thought it came out last year, I have a few thoughts.
I liked the 1979 version much more than this version, for a couple of reasons. I much preferred Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka to Johnny Depp's -- Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka was much more lovable and believably quirky, while Johnny Depp's just came out sort of disturbing. We talked about this in my fairy tales class a couple weeks ago, and came to the general conclusion that the 2005 version is in many ways much closer to Roald Dahl's text, but that the 1979 version is much closer to the feel of the book.
I liked the Oompa-Loompas in the 1979 version much more than the 2005 version -- the 2005 version was a little unpleasantly racist that, although it goes with the book (the first edition of the novel has the Oompa-Loompas described as looking like chocolate men; when called on it, Roald Dahl changed it), left me feeling a little cold and a lot uncomfortable. And while their musical numbers were much more dramatic and used the lyrics from the book, well -- *shrugs* Again, left rather cold.
One thing that I really, really liked from the 2005 version was Charlie's parents, who I don't think are ever named aside from being Mr. Bucket and Mrs. Bucket. They were adorable, and I officially do not care about Willy Wonka and his daddy issues, I adore Mr. and Mrs. Bucket. (Played by Helena Bonham Carter and Noah Taylor.)
I kind of despised Willy Wonka's daddy issues, although the reunion was sweet.
The 1979 version had a much more international feel that the 2005 film reached for but didn't quite get. Also, it's interesting that they kept the nationalities of all the children from the 1979 film, none of which are in the books. Augustus Gloop is German, Veruca Salt is British, Mike Teevee and Violet Beauregarde are both American -- they did change the states for those two, but the nationalities are the same. Which says something interesting about stereotypes, I suppose.
I did like the pink sheep that Willy Wonka doesn't want to talk about. And Violet and Veruca deciding they're going to be friends, although that certainly didn't last.
I really wish they'd used the poached egg line from the book, because I love it so.
I liked the 1979 version much more than this version, for a couple of reasons. I much preferred Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka to Johnny Depp's -- Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka was much more lovable and believably quirky, while Johnny Depp's just came out sort of disturbing. We talked about this in my fairy tales class a couple weeks ago, and came to the general conclusion that the 2005 version is in many ways much closer to Roald Dahl's text, but that the 1979 version is much closer to the feel of the book.
I liked the Oompa-Loompas in the 1979 version much more than the 2005 version -- the 2005 version was a little unpleasantly racist that, although it goes with the book (the first edition of the novel has the Oompa-Loompas described as looking like chocolate men; when called on it, Roald Dahl changed it), left me feeling a little cold and a lot uncomfortable. And while their musical numbers were much more dramatic and used the lyrics from the book, well -- *shrugs* Again, left rather cold.
One thing that I really, really liked from the 2005 version was Charlie's parents, who I don't think are ever named aside from being Mr. Bucket and Mrs. Bucket. They were adorable, and I officially do not care about Willy Wonka and his daddy issues, I adore Mr. and Mrs. Bucket. (Played by Helena Bonham Carter and Noah Taylor.)
I kind of despised Willy Wonka's daddy issues, although the reunion was sweet.
The 1979 version had a much more international feel that the 2005 film reached for but didn't quite get. Also, it's interesting that they kept the nationalities of all the children from the 1979 film, none of which are in the books. Augustus Gloop is German, Veruca Salt is British, Mike Teevee and Violet Beauregarde are both American -- they did change the states for those two, but the nationalities are the same. Which says something interesting about stereotypes, I suppose.
I did like the pink sheep that Willy Wonka doesn't want to talk about. And Violet and Veruca deciding they're going to be friends, although that certainly didn't last.
I really wish they'd used the poached egg line from the book, because I love it so.