Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) is a poor boy who lives with his widowed mother and four grandparents in a two room shack. He does go to school and he has a paper route, but he wants so much more. He wishes that he could be like the other kids. But he can't.
One day at school, Charlie hears that the mysterious Willie Wonka (Gene Wilder) is going to open his candy factory to five lucky holders of the Golden Tickets, which he has hidden in five different Wonka chocolate bars.
Charlie would give anything to find one of those tickets, but he can't buy chocolate like the other children as he is too poor to afford it. But, as you knew he would, Charlie finds that last Golden Ticket and does indeed enter the Wonka Factory.
With his Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson), and the other Wonka kids Agustus Gloop, Violet Beauregarde, Veruca Salt and Mike Teevee along for the ride, Charlie is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime!
The first time I saw this film, I was in grade two. I got a VHS copy of the soon after and I wore it out! I don't know why this film strikes me the way it does. I jsut don't know.
Maybe it's memorable songs, like Grandpa Joe and Charlie's songs when he first climbs out of bed. Or Maybe it's the performances of Gene Wilder and Jack Albertson, who both in thier own ways, light up every screen they are in.
All of that aside, you know something? I still love this film!
Plot: 
Roald Dalh, who wrote the book and the fisrt draft of the screenplay, hated the final film. He never really said why.
The plot has it good moments and bad ones. Really, the only bad part of the film is the boring song in the middle of the picture ("Cheer up Charlie").
Visual Effects:
The art/set direction is what make this film. It was extremely well done in the whole candy factory, but most notably in the main candy room scene with all of the "edible" candy (some of which was really edible!) and the gigantic chocolate fall.
There are no special camera angels like cranes shots and things of that nature, or even specail effects shots (well, there are a couple...) but the film was edited and cut very well.
Sound:
The songs are what make this film a musical. The only downside is the boring song, "Cheer up Charlie."
Character Development:
There is no character development in any of the characters. We know little to nothing about any of the characters except what we learn about them at their interviews.
Atmosphere:
This is an easy film to get into. But if you think it is a kiddies movie, you are sadly mistaken!
Realism:
Warren’s Rating:
8.00/10Is the movie worth your time to watch?
29-09-04
