1st watched 5/27/2023 - (Dir-Tim Burton):
Unsatisfying re-imagining of the Willy Wonka chocolate empire by Tim Burton and crew. Being a big fan of the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", I was hoping I wouldn't compare this too much and give it a chance, but unfortunately I tended to do this and it fell flat as far as pure entertainment value compared to that one. Depp wasn't as bad as Willy, the chocolate mizer, as he came across in short bursts of trailers, spots etc... and the story shared more about him and his empire, which was interesting. I felt the minor characters were pretty flat compared to the original. Freddie Highmore was good as Charlie, but Grandpa and the kids in the factory left a lot to be desired. The ending varied and tried to tug at our heartstrings, but at this point in time there was no build-up to care for Wonka for any real reason. I'm glad I viewed this version, and it has spurred me into wanting to read the original book to compare the differences - but as a film it left a lot to be desired. This is not one of the best Depp/Burton collaborations, in my opinion.