Willy Wonka Vs Charlie (1971 Vs 2005) - Which Was Better?

Roald Dahl's famous book about eccentric chocolate making wizardry has enthralled children alike for generations. And along with it, there has been two outings for this story on the big screen. Both films have been equally entertaining, with Hollywood giants Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp leading both films in their own unique ways. But with time having passed for both films, and with an origin film coming in the future, the question must be raised as to which is superior. It's easy enough to say that the 70's film is superior due to it's popularity among families and the nostalgic. And while there is a lot to love about that film, there is a lot to love about Tim Burton's take on the story too. The divide is more black and white than people are willing to give it credit for.

Something that people may not be aware of is that the 2005 outing is actually more faithful to the structure of the original book. And this is evident by how streamlined the first half of the story is compared to the 70s film. The original film is bloated in the first act with additional sequences showing the response from the wider world, which doesn't demonstrate much in regards to the overall story. The 2005 version gets straight to the point, while still giving time to establishing the world. However, I would say the structure of the 2005 film falls down in the second half when the characters enter the factory. And the biggest issue is the way it cuts away to the backstory of Willy Wonka. (Johnny Depp) This is an addition that the film doesn't need. The 2005 film would've ended around the 80-90 minute mark, matching the 70s film, had they kept to the book's ending as the other film had. The inclusion of Wonka's backstory and the reunion with his father (Christopher Lee) at the end, feels like an unnecessary add-on to a story that it didn't need. It is concerning that a Willy Wonka origin film is coming out soon, but as that is it's own thing, and not being squashed into a retelling of the actual book, it could be interesting.

I have to give the overall prize for production design to the 2005 film. Tim Burton's vivid imagination was of great benefit to this film. The factory looked absolutely incredible, which is evident from just seeing the first room. The 70s film also succeeds with demonstrating the cinematic wonder of the factory. But once you see the first room in that film, the wonder wears off from room to room. It's evident from the look of the original film, that they were struggling to hide their shoestring budget. But if you wanted one element in both films to compare, the look of the chocolate river is evidently better in the newer film. Far less... sewage like. I will say thou that the cinematography is more colourful and brighter in the 70s film, which appears more vibrant and appealing than the rather drab and icy look to the 2005 film's cinematography.

The music in both films is equally brilliant. The 70s film cleverly introduces original songs to build upon the fantasy based drama. These songs are iconic and well known to the public, even if they haven't seen the film. Songs like Pure Imagination and I've Got A Golden Ticket are so well known, and a joy to listen to outside the context of the film Not every song hits the mark as well as others, but they are still well produced and iconic pieces of film music. Tim Burton and Danny Elfman also bring their own spin with the music for the 2005 film. The music is mysterious but still maintains a sense of whimsy, most noticeably in the main theme over the title sequence. They also make use of the original poetry lyrics that the Oompa Loompa's sing in the original book, when putting together their songs for each of the rotten kids. They also individualised each of the Oompa Loompa songs, by giving them individual musical styles. They now stand out more than the ones in the 70s film. As iconic as the Oompa Loompa songs are in the 70's film, there is more creativity in what Elfman put together. The only downfall in the 2005 film's music library is the high pitch song sung about Willy Wonka when the tour of the factory begins. The song is irritating, and just makes me thank the lord above for the invention of the mute button on the TV remote!

Now as for casting, this is also a double edged sword. Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder are both excellent choices for Wonka. I would give the edge more to Wilder, due to his beautiful blend of comedic charm, yet underlying sinister appearance. It's clear that he is always scheming and thinking, yet you can never tell what Wilder's version of Wonka is thinking. Depp is let down by the unnecessary focus on Wonka's backstory. Depp really captured the comical side to Wonka's character, but didn't show a lot of sinister charm, instead his version of Wonka feels more like damaged goods. The child actors in both versions were excellent performers. Both Mel Stuart and Tim Burton were very good at casting children. Both Jack Albertson and David Kelly were phenomenal as Grandpa Joe, giving the bed ridden man so much energy. Albertson gets extra points for how cheeky he makes this character, and for his lively song number. My only real issue is the personification of Charlie himself in the 2005 version. Peter Ostrum from the 70s version demonstrated a child character who actually felt like a child. Yes, he was innocent and the least rotten of the child characters, but he still had moments of upset and greed that all children feel at one point or another. The 2005 version portrayed by Freddie Highmore is very one note, and too angelic. Even as a child, I didn't feel like routing for this version of Charlie, because he didn't feel relatable. This falls down to the writing of the character, rather than Highmore's actual performance, as he has proven himself a fine actor in other projects. It's just a shame that the version of Charlie in Tim Burton's film is far too innocent, and doesn't feel like an actual child.

In conclusion, both cinematic tellings of Roahl Dahl's Charlie & The Chocolate Factory have their benefits, but also have their downfalls. Neither production falls into being downright awful films, I would say both were equally very good, and equally entertaining in their own rights. The 70's film suffers from a bloated first half and being restricted with a shoestring budget. While the 2005 film has a problem with bloating out the second half with an unwarranted backstory, and making it's principle child character too angelic. Which you'll prefer will depend on what you want to gain from a film version of this story. For me, the perfect cinematic telling of this novel would be a merger of both these brilliant films!

SCORES

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (Mel Stuart, 1971)

Story - 3.5/5

Characters - 5/5

Production - 3/5

Acting - 5/5

Music - 4/5

TOTAL - 8.2/10

Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (Tim Burton, 2005)

Story - 3/5

Characters - 4/5

Production - 5/5

Acting - 4/5

Music - 4.5/5

TOTAL - 8.2/10