10 Movie Remakes That Are Actually Worth Watching
4. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
The Original: Disowned by Roald Dahl, who’d wanted Spike Milligan for the title role, Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory is your average children’s musical set in a psychedelic wonderland where green-haired, orange-skinned Oompa Loompas assist an eccentric recluse in creating lickable wallpaper, fizzy lifting drinks and everlasting gobstoppers.
The Remake: Now titled after Dahl’s book, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory is mostly about Charlie (Freddie Highmore), a shining innocent surrounded by dark, bizarre characters. Part Michael Jackson, part George McFly, and very different from Gene Wilder’s take on the character, you’re never sure if Johnny Depp’s Wonka is going to turn out to be a benefactor or the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
In a subplot absent from the original film, Christopher Lee appears as Depp’s father, adding more depth to the narrative and fleshing out Wonka as something more than just an eccentric recluse. Tim Burton styles the movie so you won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen, whether you’re just passing through the fudge processing centre or watching a kid expand into an oversized blueberry.