Charlie vs Willy Wonka

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What do you prefer, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?

I have both of these films on DVD and I can say I love them both the same, but there are a few things I liked better on the first one than I do on the remake, and vice versa.

On the first one, the chocolate river looks more like a reddish colour water, where as on the remake the chocolate river looks more like real chocolate.

I prefer the songs what the Oompa Loompas sing in the first one than I do in the remake.

I prefer Grandpa Joe in the first one, because he seems more lively and has a good attitude towards things. He also says more in the first one than he does in the remake.

I do love the bit in the first one where they all have to sign and the parents all refuse to, except for Grandpa Joe. He encourages Charlie to sign and does not make a big deal out of it. I always enjoy that bit when I watch it.

I love Willy Wonka in the first one. He's more kinder when greeting them when they first arrive. I know he was fiery at the end towards Charlie and Grandpa Joe, but he did offer them his factory and said Charlie could take his family with him, and it ends very happily.

Johnny Depp was good as Willy Wonka, but was quite weird. He was sarcastic and didn't seem to care about the children. Also he seemed kind of intimidating in some scenes.

I do love the opening credits in the beginning of the remake, where you see how the chocolate starts off as liquid, then the machines do all the work and turn the brown liquid into millions of chocolate bars then packs it all into boxes to be sent out all over the world.


Otherwise, they are both good films. I could watch them over and over again. Feel free to give your views and comparisons.

I liked the version with Gene Wilder much better.

Both movies have merit for me.
It's hard to decide which I like more.

Actually they show the making of chocolate during the intro of the original.

The Gene Wilder one is by far the better.
Not only because the grandfather plays up the role better, but also because the Willy Wonka role is played closer to the original story. The addition of a subplot (the "slugworth" spy) was never in the book, but was drawn FROM bits and pieces presented in the book - his competitors were mentioned, as was the everlasting gobstopper. Even the substitution of golden geese (original movie) for a swarm of nut sorting squirrels (the book and the Depp remake) was based on a mention in the book.

Now following the original story is not mandatory for a good movie.

But when you take a humourous adult character, who has dedicated himself to creating treats for children (his favourite people because they haven't been compromised by a system that makes them boring) - and turn him into a "never grew up crybaby with daddy issues" who hates kids and parents even more...

it destroys the entire reason behind inviting children in to be mentored to replace him.


Plus, though I usually love Burton Movies, and Depp's acting...
The voice he affected in the remake was irritating, and the oompa loompa segments with simple pandering to the five primary musical styles (poorly) and much music video mimicry (also poor)... well it was all too "commercial". And the oompa loompas were all played by one individual cgi'ed until I saw more of him in one movie than... well, there was no "anima" to him.

And it's a kid's movie. "Don't touch that squirrel's nuts" and "dentists are big scary monsters" (the remake) are not life lessons.

"you are unique don't lose that as you grow up", "honesty is the best policy" and "being a brat will get you f****d up" are good things to learn, and are delivered in the original.

I think both versions have their merits, but the Gene Wilder version was the one I grew up with. As such, its what first comes to mind whenever I hear the title.

I remember seeing the Gene Wilder version in a movie theater when it first came out.

The original, Johnny Depp looks and sounds creepy like he was going to do unspeakable things to the kids at any moment plus the burning scene scared me.
The original one captures the spirit of the story.

Willy Wonka version.
It is a true classic and the lack of gloss in some scenes only makes it dearer.
Grandpa Joe was played by the great American character actor Jack Albertson. The reason he's so good is he started out in vaudeville, and could sing and dance. That scene where Charlie gets him out of bed and he starts doing a buck and wing in that tiny room is priceless. Gene Wilder is fabulous, truly a daft genius. The ending where he explodes in anger at Charlie and Grandpa Joe is at once frightening, funny, and sheer genius. (Someday I hope someone does footnotes of every quotation he spouts during the film.) The kids are genuinely funny, and at times touching. The songs are great, "I've Got a Golden Ticket" is right there with "Over The Rainbow."

You'd have to do a "Clockwork Orange" to me and pry my eyelids open to watch the new one.