Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) User Reviews

Gene Wilder revealed...

[brundage3 · 9/10 · 20 May 2005]

Most excellent works in the arts are seen and enjoyed at a variety of "levels." That is true of this movie in general and of Gene Wilder in specific.

Wilder has been known in the circles of movie creators as a creative genius for many years. Here, his acting ability showcases that genius. To be sure, at the level of good fun for kids and Moms and Dads, he comes through. But writers must have loved his work. Watch for the "look" in his eyes. You will see "changes" in them as he speaks or as he listens to the kids. Those unheard, barely seen changes can be read many ways. And that is the genius. They put more into the lines than the words themselves.

Art should be clearly and quickly understood. It should also be the tool used to make us wonder a bit. Think a little. Or find meaning we didn't see at first look.

In this movie, Gene Wilder's almost imperceptible nuances speak volumes.

Gene Wilder!

[AhmedSpielberg99 · 8/10 · 4 June 2018]

It's Gene Wilder, at the top of his form, who made this unique imaginative adventure more vibrant and gleeful. His energetic performance is by no means different from Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins. He absolutely deserved ,at least, an Oscar nomination. The movie lost some of its sharpness and suffered from some monotony after some time from reaching the factory. But besides the gorgeous production design and cool visuals, there was Wilder's charisma that helped to elevate the movie. The first half of the movie has great emotional value, and established the characters very well. Also, it feature some of the most beautiful songs of the movie. But due to the fast pacing, there was an action in the first half that felt forced, if it was necessary to serve a turning point of the story.

There are many powerful and very important messages in the movie. But the greatest thing about them is not actually the messages themselves, as we witnessed them delivered in a lot of movies before, but it's how genuine these messages seem as they are delivered in this particular story. Peter Ostrum is great in his first and ,unfortunately, his last role. There are many dramatic scenes that required a very good actor and he is. Actually, I didn't feel for even a moment that this is his acting debut. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a total blast from start to finish. It's Scrumdiddlyumptious!

(8.5/10)

"WE are the music-makers, and WE are the dreamers of dreams!"

[great_sphinx_42 · 9/10 · 9 June 1999]

When I was a kid, my mom made me sit through this a trillion and one times. It's one of her favorites. I liked it well enough back then, but it's only now that I'm older that I can appreciate the true sinister glory of this movie. It's so deliciously creepy! For those who have to whine about how messed up it is, consider the original "Cinderella." Now that was awful. Willy Wonka is the stranger with a bag of chocolate that parents are always warning their kids about, but what he's really offering is a seductive nightmare in a kaleidescope of candy colors, a cautionary tale told with fairy story whimsy. I got it when I was 5, but the thrill didn't register. "A dirty trick on innocent children?" Some people out there obviously don't remember what it's really like to be a kid. Childhood is full of booby traps and the allure of the forbidden, and that which is evil frequently looks divine. "Willy Wonka" is about giving in and seeing the horrors and delights, the choices and pratfalls on the other side. It's disturbing because it strikes a certain primal chord: freedom and danger are entwined, and people have never wanted to associate children with either.

So shines a good deed in a weary world.

[hitchcockthelegend · 10/10 · 10 December 2010]

The world goes on chocolate overdrive when it's announced that famed candy maker, Willy Wonka, has put five golden tickets in his Wonka Bars. The lucky recipients of these tickets will be treated to a day out in the top secret Wonka factory, where they can see how the sweets are made, and if they are even luckier, they will get a lifetimes supply of free chocolate. Nobody wants a golden ticket more than Charlie Bucket, from a desperately poor family, Charlie has learned to accept his heritage with a grace and credibility not befitting most other children. So when a miracle upon miracles happens, and Charlie finds a golden ticket, it just may prove to be a turning point far beyond his wildest dreams.

They say that true love lasts a lifetime, so shall it be the case with Willy Wonka and myself. As a child I was captivated by the colours, the dream of myself being able to visit a magical place where sweets and chocolate roll off the production line purely for my ingestion. Songs that I memorised back in my youth have never left me, and now as a considerably middle aged adult male, I can still embrace, and feel the magic, whilst enjoying the darkly knowing aspects of this fabulous and wondrous black comedy.

Roald Dahl was quite a writer of note, and thankfully the makers here have brought his astute morality tale to vivid cinematic life. Director Mel Stuart, aided by his screenwriter David Seltzer, even manage to add to Dahl's wonderful story courtesy of a sinister outsider, who apparently in the guise of a rival corporation, will pay handsomely for a Wonka top secret, morality, greed and power all coming together in one big chocolate explosion. The greatest gift that Willy Wonka gives, tho, is that of the set designs and art direction, where in an almost hypnotically drug induced colourful world, Wonka's factory is a child's dream come true, however, peril is at every turn as life's lessons dolled out courtesy of the scarily cute Oompa Loompas.

Songs are provided by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricuse, with the sumptuous art coming from Harper Goff. Gene Wilder takes the lead role of Willy Wonka, magnetic and bordering on clued in madness, Wilder takes his rightful place in the pantheon of memorable performances performed in fantasy pictures. But ultimately it's the story and the way it appeals to every age group that makes Willy Wonka a prize treasure, the kids love it, while the adults watching with them will be wryly nodding and trying to suppress the onset of a devilish grin.

Pure magic is Willy Wonka, see it now in High Definition TV to fully realise the dream/nightmare on offer, oh oh I love it so. 10/10

One of my all-time favourites.

[barnabyrudge · 10/10 · 25 March 2004]

Surprisingly, Roald Dahl (author of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, on which this film is based) reportedly hated this big screen version of his book. There's no denying that the book is sheer genius, but in all honesty this film adaptation is exceptionally well made too. In fact, it comes high up on my list of all-time movie favourites.

The Wonka Chocolate Factory is an amazing building from which some of the most scrumdiddlyumptious sweets are delivered to the world's candy stores. Wonka-mania hits the world when five golden tickets are hidden inside packs of Wonka bars - for the winners will be granted a tour of the top-secret factory. Young Charlie Bucket, a poor boy whose family cottage lies within sight of Wonka's factory, dreams of becoming a winner - but with barely a penny to his name, does he have a chance?

What makes Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory such a success is the way it skillfully blends entertainment and a serious underlying moral. Each winning child is exposed as being rotten-to-the-core, then dealt with harshly and dismissively by Wonka. Seeing these awful brats get their come-uppance is hilarious, enjoyable and - on a serious level - quite eye-opening (it's as if parents in the audience are being told how to prevent their children from turning bad). Gene Wilder was simply born to play Wonka (every eccentric phrase, every bemused expression, and every mischievous glance is judged to perfection). The film's set design is fabulous, with particular high-spots including the chocolate room, the egg room and the wacky corridor which gets smaller and narrower the closer you get to the end. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is simply magic - a film that everyone must see, especially parents whose kids are just becoming that bit too big for their boots!

Timeless.

[Anonymous_Maxine · 10/10 · 30 September 2001]

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a truly magnificent piece of filmmaking and remains one of the most fascinating and wonderful adventure films ever made. One of the things that makes this film so intriguing is that it could have been made at any time. I mean, just from watching it, you can't really tell when it was made. It has been one of my favorite films for almost 20 years now, and it wasn't until today that I actually realized when it was made. Watching it again last night, I had convinced myself that it was made sometime in the early to mid 80s, and I was shocked to find out that this year is the movie's 30 year anniversary. Until now, pretty much the only movie I associate with 1971 is A Clockwork Orange, and it's just strange for some reason to find out that this classic movie was made so long ago.

At any rate, Willy Wonka is a tremendously imaginative and inspiring film. It's a family film, but one of the most important aspects of a family film is that it has to be enjoyable for a variety of ages. This is what makes movies like Toy Story and Shrek such huge successes- the adults will love it just as much as the kids are sure to. Hence: `family' film. On the other hand, this is also the downfall of such other movies that are strictly for a much younger audience, like Cats & Dogs. The makers of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory understood this very well, and you can see that just by the way that the cast is divided. Here are all of these kids (funny how it was only kids who found those golden tickets…) who were at this candy factory, and they had each elected to bring one of their parents with them as the one admissible member of their family who was allowed by Wonka to accompany them to the factory.

One of the best elements of this film is the excellently written script and, even more, the songs. These are some of the best songs in any movie ever made, rivaling even the best of the songs from Disney's films (hey, some of them are really good…). There are, of course, some exceptions, such as `Cheer up, Charlie,' which I have been fast-forwarding through for as long as I can remember, but for the most part, the songs are fun to listen to and they pertain to life outside the movie. They are not just songs about the candy-making genius of Willy Wonka or the excitement of being able to tour his mysterious factory, but they are about life in the real world. They're about believing in yourself and being motivated in life (`Anything you want to, do it. Want to change the world, there's nothing to it…'), but there are also some that have to do mostly with the movie but are still just as enjoyable, such as the classic song that Wonka sings in the tunnel on board his boat (curiously named `Wonkatania'), which was creepily covered by Marilyn Manson a couple of decades later.

The dialogue in the film contains some of the most interesting little tidbits in the entire movie. Wonka's lines, in particular, are wonderfully strange and amusing (`A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men.'). He is a truly eccentric and fascinating man, and Gene Wilder captures the character flawlessly, as he delivers the lines from the brilliantly written script. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of those rare movies that comes along and completely changes the way that fantasy films are made. It's all about having fun in life and being hopeful against all odds and, most of all, being able to have fun in life. There are times when you have to let things go for a while and just act like a kid. Eat candy, run around and play, steal fizzy lifting drinks and bump into the ceiling that now has to be washed and sterilized, it doesn't matter as long as no one's looking. That's such a trivial little quirk of Wonka's (who sterilizes their ceiling?) that it becomes obvious that the movie is trying to say that it's okay to break the rules every once in a while. Have fun in life.

Besides being absolutely mouth-watering (to this day, I still fantasize about sinking my teeth into one of those gigantic gummy bears), the movie is an uplifting adventure that warms the heart and sends people of all ages away with fairy tale candies dancing in their heads and wonderful songs just behind their lips. It is an always-welcome vacation from reality for people of all ages, and it should always be remembered and loved for that. This movie will ALWAYS be a must-see.

Pure Goodness!

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 10/10 · 10 January 2004]

Anyone could love this film and I don't see how you couldn't fall in love with Willy Wonka. This is without a doubt one of the most charming movies of all time that is still to this day one of the most enjoyed movies for a family night. Despite it's dark little messages, it still made light of everything and made this movie "satisfying and delicious".

You'll see a world of pure imagination and will absolutely fall for Willy Wonka. Gene Wilder is a comedic genius who will forever be the timeless Willy Wonka. He played it so well and made it look so easy. All the kids were amazing as well, I mean the boy who played Charlie was so adorable and you felt so awful for him. You just wished for his deepest wishes to come true. The sets are also just fantastic and so yummy to look at. On of my favorite scenes was with the "inventing room", all the amazing gizzmo's. I also loved how we took a peek into Wonka's madness when he throws a shoe into a boiling water pot and says "It gives it a little kick". One of my favorite lines of all time is "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker".

The film is not only great to look at but it has terrific and catchy songs that will be stuck in your head and find yourself humming down the street. This is going to be a timeless classic that I can't wait to show my future children.

10/10

One of my all time favorites...

[movie_dude719 · 28 December 2000]

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory: ****

"Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" is a wonderful movie that should be viewed by everyone. It is one of my personal favorites.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is about a poor boy named Charlie (Peter Ostrum). His life is horrible. But one day, he hears the news that Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) is sending out five golden tickets and then letting the winners go into his factory. The first four winners are Augustus Gloop (Michael Bollner), Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson), and Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen). Charlie then wins the fifth golden ticket by luck.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is visually stunning and cleverly written. The songs are remarkable. The whole movie is a fun journey through the chocolate factory. It is very enjoyable, fun, and clever. The scenery and props are eye candy.

The most underrated character in the movie is Mr. Turkentine. He is only in three scenes, but everytime he is on screen he is hilarious. I love the quote: "I've just decided to switch our Friday schedule to Monday, which means that the test we take each Friday on what we learned during the week will now take place on Monday before we've learned it. But since today is Tuesday, it doesn't matter in the slightest." He is very, very funny.

Julie Dawn Cole plays Veruca so well. She is so bratty and she is one of those characters that you hate so much you love them. Roy Kinnear (who will be missed) is hysterical as her father. The whole movie is funny in it's own odd and strange way. It is a classic that will be treasured for many years to come.

The Candy Man

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 2 August 2018]

Even with Johnny Depp's darker portrayal of Willy Wonka of more recent vintage out there, what Gene Wilder did with the part stands out as the definitive Wonka for our times. I'm willing to bet that more families rent this one than Johnny Depp's.

In Roald Dahl's children's fantasy the great candymaker Willy Wonka locked up his candy factory because of industrial spying by his competitors. No one goes in or out except the raw material and the candy. Now however it's worldwide news that Wonka is opening his giant River Rouge GM like plant for five lucky adolescent tourists. They will be determined by five lucky golden tickets found in Wonka Bars.

That fifth one goes to Peter Ostrum who takes the tour with his grandfather Jack Albertson. The other kids who are showing various degrees of spoiled also have adult companions.

The four other kids, well they don't quite finish the trip. As they rather colorfully drop out Gene Wilder has some snarky comments. Accompanied by the pygmy tribe of Oompa-Loompas who Willy Wonka moved from their Pacific island home to work in his factory. This part I thought was truly stretching it as these little guys look a whole lot like slaves working on the old plantation.

The film got an Oscar nomination for Best Musical Scoring and the song The Candy Man became a big old hit for Sammy Davis, Jr.

After almost 50 years the Candy Man can and is still doing it.

Simply indispensable

[Don Muvo · 9/10 · 25 December 2004]

All the ideas that Rould Dahl puts into his book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" are here in an imaginative visual form appropriate to the time it was made. A lot of attention was paid to the sets and visual effects, clever special effects such as a trap door and miniturization testify to the care that the producers put into making this movie. The theme of the movie is difficult for adults. There are bad children in the world. They come from bad parents, they're not created by emulation, but rather the parents "produce them", much like chocolate is produced in a factory. The factory is populated by miniature people named oomphaloopas that remind the listener at intervals of Dahl's moral points: Too much TV is bad for children, books should be read instead, and children need to adhere to an ethical code of some sort in order to grow up strong. And who knew Gene Wilder had such a beautiful singing voice! The music is some of the best show music of it's time, including "The Candy Man".

Depp is excellent, but Wilder owns this role

[chuckc · 7/10 · 28 July 2005]

Willy Wonka is not a nice man. Yet, somehow, you can't help but like him, at least as he's played by Gene Wilder in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," the semi-psychedelic, and "psychotronic," 1971 version of Roald Dahl's classic children's novel. Wonka is aloof, sardonic, sarcastic, mysterious, manipulative, and devious--a leprechaun with a hyperactive thyroid and an edge. But, as Wilder plays him, you sense the sweetness behind the wild gleam in his eyes; he's really hoping that one of the five children he's invited to tour his chocolate factory will be a worthy heir to the world of his imagination.

Yes, Wonka is a cynic and a misanthrope. (What else could he be after sequestering himself in his own little world for years on end?) But he wants to believe that there is still some good to be found in a "weary world." Wilder captures Dahl's creation perfectly.

The rest of the cast is perfect, too, and they make the most of Dahl's often witty script. Peter Ostrom, in particular, is excellent as Charlie.

Yet, this minor classic of a movie has its flaws. The production design suffers from a lack of budget. Wonka's "Chocolate Room" looks like an elaborate mini-golf course, with a dirty river running through it, in a brick warehouse. The "Inventing Room" is meant to be a whimsical, magical laboratory, but comes off more like an especially elaborate hideout for the Joker on the old "Batman" TV series. The songs range from reasonably good (Veruca Salt's ode to brattiness "I Want the Whole World") to saccharine ("The Candy Man") to downright wretched (the Oompa-Loompa oeuvre entire, with lousy choreography to match). Wilder's rendition of "Pure Imgaination," an overly sugary confection that could induce diabetic comas in the wrong hands, works thanks to the faraway look in his eyes; he makes it magical. The make up and costumes of the Oompa-Loompas (Wonka's workers), on the other hand, are simply embarrassing.

Yet despite these flaws, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is hugely entertaining and probably the best family film of the 1970s. Think of it this way: "Willy Wonka" is to Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" as the "Batman" TV series (from the 1960s) is to Burton's "Batman." Both are different, entirely valid takes on the same source material. Both are worth watching.

Great movie but Grandpa Joe is evil

[akiva-69248 · 9/10 · 6 July 2019]

What can I say? Grandpa Joe is a slacker who faked a disease so that his child could take care of him in his infirmity and then has a miraculous recovery when his grandson finds the golden ticket. He also nearly loses the grand prize for Charlie by counseling him to commit industrial espionage by giving the everlasting gobstopper to Slugworth. After Charlie decides against GJ's nefarious plan, he wins the contest and is rewarded with the factory. When Wonka tells Charlie he can move in immediately, GJ exclaims "Me too?" I'm still waiting for the true life sequel where Grandpa Joe wrests control of the factory from Charlie and "disposes" of him and the family.

Sweet rendition, but you gotta read the book!!

[YFL · 7/10 · 24 September 1999]

This movie is endearing, but I have to say ... the book is better! Forget the images that come with the movie, your imagination conjures up visions way beyond the limits of any special effects!

But still, not a bad version of the book. The actors are all adequate, but Gene Wilder is fantastic, the best thing about the movie - he was the only aspect in the movie which was at least as good as what I envisioned while reading the book, if not better. And watch out for the twinkle in his his eyes! :)

This is also one of those movies where knowing the story beforehand doesn't really do much damage when you actually watch it, if anything you anticipate what happens.

Really the only thing to criticize - is that the movie isn't as good as our own imaginations. The other criticisms just make me laugh. Granted the special effects aren't that cutting-edge, but hey, this was made years ago and it's OK considering! Also I don't really feel it's too 'scary' for kids... I know lots of children who think that Roald Dahl's stuff are cool, and no, they don't grow up to become mass murderers. And true, there is a dark side to it, but it's got a good message to send. If anyone got traumatized, they probably grew up like a glass bubble. I'm not a kid anymore and I do still know how to enjoy it, perhaps it's even more amusing because you really get to appreciate the intelligence of the absurdity and the fun of the exaggerations that Dahl inevitably dishes out. It's silly, but perhaps that's why you love it.

Another thing ... really interesting to watch out for if you're familiar with the great works of Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde etc ... I haven't read all, but enough to catch some of the quotes from their works deliciously sneaked into the dialogue here. For example, "Parting is such a sweet sorrow" from Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, and "The suspense is terrible. I hope it lasts" from The Importance of Being Earnest by Wilde, among others.

I especially love one of the last lines in the movie where Dahl shows his total ability for sweet innocence (and Wilder delivers it to perfection) when Wonka tells Charlie, "And Charlie: don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he'd ever wished for." and Charlie asks, "What happened?" and this is when you're sure that he's gonna give you one of those righteous, cautionary, adult message of the preachy kind when he says, magically, "He lived happily ever after." *sigh* ...

I Can't Forgive It for Not Being the Book

[evanston_dad · 5/10 · 10 April 2007]

This version of the Roald Dahl classic has always weirded me out, and not in a good way. I don't like the way it looks - gangly and ugly - nor the liberties the screenwriters took with the book. I would borrow "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" from my little grade school library, read it, and as soon as I got to the end of the last page go right back to the beginning and read it over again. It was imprinted on my wee young brain, and I simply cannot accept any deviation from it.

Gene Wilder at least has fun with this, though he reminds me way too much of my loser ex-brother-in-law for comfort. The thing I remember most about this movie, as many others probably do as well, is the catchy anthem sung repeatedly by the Oompah Loompahs.

Grade: C

A classic

[OriginalMovieBuff21 · 9/10 · 22 June 2005]

"If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it." Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is one of the best children films of all-time. The characters, you all have to adore, even if their annoying or not. The film is about a boy who finds a golden ticket in a Willy Wonka chocolate bar and heads off to see the Willy Wonka factory with his grandpa and other people. Gene Wilder was great as Willy Wonka and his performance was quite funny and actually kind of weird. The kids were all great especially Augustus Gloop, he was hilarious. Overall, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is a classic and should be viewed by everyone.

Hedeen's Oulook: 9/10 ***+ A-

Charming, and hugely enjoyable!

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 15 June 2009]

This is a hugely enjoyable film, based upon the book by Roald Dahl. The film does have a number of merits, especially the flawless performance of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, a characterisation that is charming and funny at the same time. Another standout is Jack Albertson as Grandpa Joe, his scenes with Charlie were lovingly realised, but in his song, he was just hilarious, and his singing voice was remarkably good. However, whereas Peter Ostrum is perfectly agreeable in terms of acting as Charlie, he is let down by his lack of any real singing ability. Though the film does look beautiful with excellent cinematography and colourful sets, and the supporting characters like the Oompa Loompas, the odiously spoilt Veruca Salt, television addict Mike Tevee and the rather disgusting Violet Bueragarde, are very well done, and the actors are further advantaged by a wonderful sparkling script. The songs are lovely, especially Oompa Loompa, Imagination and I want it Now, though I will say I felt Cheer Up Charlie was rather tedious and slowed the film down quite considerably. Overall, a beautiful film, and I do think it is underrated. 8/10 Bethany Cox.

One of the most twisted and subversive children's fantasy musical films ever made

[Woodyanders · 10/10 · 23 March 2018]

Five children from different walks of life win golden tickets that enable them to partake on a tour of an elaborate candy factory run by eccentric recluse Willy Wonka (superbly played to the creepy and quirky hilt by Gene Wilder).

Director Mel Stuart and screenwriter Roald Dahl use the deceptively pleasant premise as a means to turn the concept of the breezy and innocuous escapist fantasy musical that's fun for the entire family completely on its ear by presenting four hideously obnoxious kids -- Julie Dawn Cole's petulant and pampered rich bitch Veruca Salt, Michael Bollner's gluttonous Augustus Gloop, Denise Nickerson's rude gow-chewing Violet Beauregarde, and Paris Themmen's addled boob tube addict Mike Teevee -- who are terrible toxic products of too lenient and/or indulgent parents and hence wholly deserving of the harsh fates that befall them. Mostly importantly, while protagonist Charlie Bucket (a fine and likeable performance by Peter Ostrom) is a basically decent and honest boy, he isn't bereft of a few flaws himself.

Director Stuart deftly crafts a light, yet dark and sardonic tone as well as keeps the immensely entertaining story moving along at a brisk pace. Dahl's clever script not only provides lots of sparkling witty lines and sharply drawn characters, but also offers a potent and provocative central message concerning morality and responsibility. Moreover, it's acted with zest by an enthusiastic cast, with especially stand-out contributions from Jack Albertson as the doting Grandpa Joe, Roy Kinnear as the long-suffering Mr. Salt, Leonard Stone as the crass Mr. Beauregarde, and Gunter Meisner as the sinister Mr. Slugworth. Kudos are also in order for Arthur Ibbetson's vibrant cinematography and the marvelously catchy songs by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. A sheer delight.

In my personal top 5 movies!

[aeowen-03398 · 10/10 · 18 March 2019]

I admit, for a grown man of 51, this is still a guilty pleasure...and I think my wife knows why.

From the first time I saw it on network television in 1976, I just knew I wanted to find a golden ticket to the Wonka factory. Heck, I was just 9 back then, but this movie remains a wonder, 40+ years later. Not only do I have it now on DVD, I can sit through this endlessly. That's how good it is to me.

Gene Wilder, who plays Wonka, is a very believable character here. I admire the way he portrayed his role as being one of "pure imagination", just as the storyline goes. The same goes for the entire cast. I had read Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator', and this is so much like it.

But...why my guilty pleasure? I have to snicker when I told her that both Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt) and Denise Nickerson (Violet Beauregard) were my very first childhood crushes. She doesn't get mad, she just does when I watch the movie so much...for that reason. This is a very wonderful movie, has always been so close to my heart, and that's where it always will stay. As long as there is "pure imagination" indeed.

Awesome indeed.

I've Never Forgot This Film

[Big Movie Fan · 28 August 2002]

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a beautiful film which I can still watch today and enjoy.

Before I saw this movie I had read the book entitled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and it was magic. As for this film, it was pure fantasy.

Anybody can enjoy this film whether they be aged 10 or 100. I loved fantasy as a child and being whisked off to worlds with magic and wizards and strange creatures. Willy Wonka is set on Earth but not the Earth we know of. Willy Wonka's world is beautiful. Wonka is a benevolent old chocolate maker who invites some kids round to his chocolate factory where they can see all his delights and visit his magical world.

The really great thing about a film like this is how it can whisk you off to another world. Forget whatever troubles you've got, forget about those bills you have to pay, forget about sitting in rush hour traffic every morning and just enjoy this magical film which whisks you off to another world, a world where dreams come true, a world where there is nothing but love and magic. I can guarantee that whoever watches it will be taken in by the magic.

Simply beautiful!

One of the 70's Great Classics

[chukkacabra · 6/10 · 22 January 2024]

As one of the most beloved films of the 70's, it still holds up over 50 years later. Whenever you hear somebody say "Golden Ticket," They're referencing this. But with that said, if it was remade in the 2020's (not the Wonka prequel, but remade shot by shot), it would have been higher quality. The first half of the movie with Charlie getting his hopes up, having them crushed, and getting them back up again, felt longer then necessary and overall boring. The real good part of the movie was the enthusiasm and childhood spirit Gene Wilder brought to Willy Wonka. The visual effects of the chocolate factory was ahead of its time, and who doesn't love the Oompa-Loompas? The song was even catchier than I remember.

A Good Message In Which Goodness Prevails

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 14 June 2006]

When I first saw this movie on VHS in the late '80s, I was shocked. A '70s movie with a GOOD message?? I couldn't believe it. The message: kids - be honest and be trustworthy and don't be obnoxious; parents - don't spoil your kids or they'll quickly turn out to be brats.

Wow, no wonder liberal critics like Leonard Maltin trashed this film. It was not the normal message being delivered in movies, which usually trashes the good and glorifies the bad. That's what makes this story refreshing, and the same goes for the re-make that was released in 2005.

Peter Ostrum plays the likable Charlie and is very good. He's one of the nicest kids ever put on screen and was a fine actor. It's kind of surprising this was the only film he ever did! Jack Albertson does a nice job of Charlie's loving grandpa and so do the bratty kids, especially the English girl who is so bad you have to laugh at her.

The first part of the story was a good satire on how people sometimes make trivial things so important and how the news media gets carried way with stupid issues. (Wow, look at it now!) The second half of the story is intriguing because of the co-star of the film: Willy Wonka - a no-nonsense candy maker who doesn't put up with the brats - was fascinating to watch. (The critics thought he was too nasty.) Gene Wilder is excellent as Willy. Yes, he has a bit of a mean streak to him but his comments are fun to hear and on the money despite his lack of verbal tact. Most people prefer Wilder's version of "Wonka," by the way, over the bizarre-but- talented Johnny Depp's.

This was an entertaining film that should keep your interest. It's also an interesting comparison to the 2005 movie. Frankly, I enjoyed both.

Great sets and songs, but too mean-spirited

[highwaytourist · 6/10 · 25 December 2008]

I was a child when this film was made and I know it's considered a classic. And there's no denying that the sets and the props are outstanding. They truly created a dream world, a child's image of what a chocolate factory would be like. And there are important lessons about how to behave. But the unrelenting meanness of this film was too much. With the exception of the hero, the children are overly obnoxious. What are the odds that of all the winners of the contest, all but one would be among the worst a parent could raise? Julie Dawn Cole is absolutely brilliant in her role as an obnoxious debutante and the other actors do well. Also, the musical numbers are well-written and performed. But it seems as if the naughty are being set up to do bad things so that Wonka can have an excuse to see them suffer. Willie Wonka at times seems to lure the children into misbehaving so he can enjoy watching them get punished. The unrelenting nastiness permeates the entire movie and as a result, I never enjoyed it as much as I wanted to.

Willy, you had me at "Pure Imagination"!

[CrazyMovieLady · 10/10 · 18 July 2011]

I think it's pretty safe to say that Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a timeless classic. Not only does it feature a great plot, fantastic acting and show how movies don't have to be full of computer animation to be good, but it also features some of the best music I have ever heard in a movie.

I still remember, almost as clearly as if it were yesterday, the remarkable thing the movie did to me the first time I watched it: It completely changed my mind about musicals! I was about 10 years old when I first sat down and watched the movie. Like a lot of kids, I didn't much care for musical numbers in movies. So when the music for "Pure Imagination" started playing, I thought, "Oh great, a musical number!" I was just about to press the fast-forward button when Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) began singing.

Within about two seconds, I was completely mesmerized! I didn't think I had ever heard such a beautiful song in my life, nor had I heard too many singing voices that were as beautiful as Willy's. It felt like he was singing that song as much to me as he was to the kids and parents in the movie! That song certainly captured MY imagination, and after hearing it for the first time, I saw musicals in a whole new light.

I may be grown now, but I still like the movie every bit as much as I did as a ten-year-old....and I will always have a special spot in my heart for "Pure Imagination" the song that convinced me that musicals can be some of the best movies out there!

A whole film of imagination

[studioAT · 6/10 · 10 July 2016]

After several years of thinking that the remake was superior I watching this original version again recently.

I was amazed at how well it holds up, all these years later. While not truly faithful to the original source text this film is full of charm, heart and features some fun songs.

At the centre of its success though is the fab performance given by Gene Wilder. He shows Johnny Depp how Wonka should be played, with just enough oddness and darkness to counter the 'candy man' persona.

All five of the children give great performances and ultimately it is the combination of all these things that for me mean that this is the version I will remember.

Not as bad as I thought it would be

[irishm · 4/10 · 30 December 2014]

This is a pretty insulting title for a review, I know. But I don't like fantasy as a rule, and Roald Dahl's imagination tends to creep me out severely, so there was no point in my seeing this film at any point over the past 40+ years, even though I was the target age when it first came out in theaters. But, it finally came up free on streaming and I figured what the heck, I could always turn it off.

I haven't read the book or seen the Johnny Depp re-make (there's another guy who creeps me out severely), but I do like Gene Wilder, he turned in a good performance here, and he was reason enough for me to finish the whole thing. I kept forgetting it was a musical… just a handful of mostly lame, forgettable, awkwardly-inserted songs. To show you how little I knew about this film going in, I was actually surprised to find that the song "The Candyman" originated here. (Back to severely creepy for a moment: whoa, that Candyman guy needs to be closely watched by local law enforcement; he just oozed 'predator'!)

The four grandparents in the same bed together all those years was disturbing… thanks, Mr. Dahl, for yet another grotesque image. I can only imagine what some small children might think of the chubby kid getting stuck in the chocolate pipe, the "funhouse" boat ride, etc., not to mention the scary-looking Oompa Loompas… heck, I'm twice their size and I wouldn't mess with 'em! Of course, any tour that starts with the signing of a waiver immediately indicates how dangerous this tour is going to be, so viewers (not to mention the characters) have been fairly warned. Who even *thought* about waivers in 1971? Almost nobody, right? And was I the only one wondering why minor children were allowed to sign this supposedly legal contract instead of their guardians?(Okay, I'm over-thinking this part, but still… that looked ridiculous.)

To those who complain that it didn't follow the book: as I said, I haven't read it, so I can't agree or disagree. But I would point out that the "Wizard of Oz" movie wasn't especially faithful to the book either. (Thank goodness… I couldn't stand the book!)

Watchable. Not lousy, not good, but watchable(particularly for Gene Wilder fans).