I'm with you. As a child I had the same aversion to the film (when Violet turned into a blueberry I was OUTATHERE!), so when I saw the new Burton version I had no sentimental attachment or allegiance to the Gene Wilder version. And I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but I really liked it. I agree that Depp's Wonka didn't always work for me, but I appreciated the fact that he took the character into a completely different direction than Wilder did. I did get a better sense from Depp as to why Wonka was as "out there" as he is-- he made me understand the character more. And Freddy Highmore was amazing-- so real. I just loved him. (I should probably read the book sometime.)
I was reading a rather amusing forum spat on the IMDB where people were debating which of the movies was truer to Dahl's book. Some people couldn't get past the invented backstory in the 2005 version while others complained about the psychadelica and the script alterations in the 1971 version. (Dahl actually submitted a script that followed his book very, very closely; it got rewritten and a great many of the book's lines were simply omitted. Dahl never forgave the studio for it, refusing the rights to the sequel.)
For me, neither Wilder nor Depp really presented Wonka from the book, because Wonka in the book is a fairly aggressive, no-nonsense type who gets very wound up over his creations. He's neither the spaced-out dreamer of Wilder nor the screwed-up paranoiac of Depp. He's just not as interesting a character in the books as the kids are.
I love Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and have since I was a kid. I was totally charmed by Gene Wilder from moment one and just adored the movie. That being said, I really enjoyed the new version, Johnny Depp cracked me up and Freddie Highmore is freaking amazing
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It's OK; pissing contests like that are never pretty. I see what you mean about Burton being rather hypocritical, but I don't see why Wilder felt so threatened by a remake. I don't think the '71 version is in danger of dropping off the face of the earth yet.
I think the backstory wasn't a bad idea, given what a cypher Wonka tends to be in the book, except that it had to tied up in a nice little bow at the end.
And really, is Tim Burton completely incapable of making a movie without Helena Bohnam Carter in it?! :)
Or getting Danny Elfman to do his music? Although Elfman rocks.
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For me, neither Wilder nor Depp really presented Wonka from the book, because Wonka in the book is a fairly aggressive, no-nonsense type who gets very wound up over his creations. He's neither the spaced-out dreamer of Wilder nor the screwed-up paranoiac of Depp. He's just not as interesting a character in the books as the kids are.
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I think the backstory wasn't a bad idea, given what a cypher Wonka tends to be in the book, except that it had to tied up in a nice little bow at the end.
And really, is Tim Burton completely incapable of making a movie without Helena Bohnam Carter in it?! :)
Or getting Danny Elfman to do his music? Although Elfman rocks.
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