Willy Wonka is perhaps the epitome of family entertainment, full of fantasy, music, humor, morals, and plenty of scrumdidleyumptious fun! It was passed over when it was released in 1971, but showing it on television and releasing it into the home video market transformed it into one of the greatest family classics of all time.
Gene Wilder, in his prime, plays the delightfully eccentric Wonka, who invites five children to visit his whimsical candy factory. But the adventure seems to be more of a test of everyone's fundamental honesty, and one by one, the children are eliminated from the tour, due to their odious behavior, until only the truly honest one remains.
The movie boasts some wonderfully whimsical sets, and is brought to life by a host of marvelous performers, including character actors Jack Albertson and Roy Kinnear, not to mention the marvelous child actors (Julie Dawn Cole, who plays the fuming Veruca Salt, is so convincing, it's scary). Even the bit parts are classic, namely David Battley as the hilariously nonsensical school teacher. And the songs, written partly by Anthony Newley, are beautiful and reflect the fanciful mood of the picture.
This is a classic in its greatest form, where honesty is rewarded, bad behavior is punished, and a golden ticket makes a golden day!
Gene Wilder, in his prime, plays the delightfully eccentric Wonka, who invites five children to visit his whimsical candy factory. But the adventure seems to be more of a test of everyone's fundamental honesty, and one by one, the children are eliminated from the tour, due to their odious behavior, until only the truly honest one remains.
The movie boasts some wonderfully whimsical sets, and is brought to life by a host of marvelous performers, including character actors Jack Albertson and Roy Kinnear, not to mention the marvelous child actors (Julie Dawn Cole, who plays the fuming Veruca Salt, is so convincing, it's scary). Even the bit parts are classic, namely David Battley as the hilariously nonsensical school teacher. And the songs, written partly by Anthony Newley, are beautiful and reflect the fanciful mood of the picture.
This is a classic in its greatest form, where honesty is rewarded, bad behavior is punished, and a golden ticket makes a golden day!