Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

mom actually refrained from going in to work on friday, her normal friday off, and we went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

it's not too often that Roger Ebert and i disagree about movies - our movie tastes are very similar. this time around, even though we both give the movie 3 stars, his review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is just flat out WRONG.

"Johnny Depp may deny that he had Michael Jackson in mind when he created the look and feel of Willy Wonka, but moviegoers trust their eyes, and when they see Willy opening the doors of the factory to welcome the five little winners, they will be relieved that the kids brought along adult guardians. Depp's Wonka -- his dandy's clothes, his unnaturally pale face, his makeup and lipstick, his hat, his manner -- reminds me inescapably of Jackson..." says Ebert.

i have heard that comparison made elsewhere. the people that say that must've been watching a different movie than i was - the movie i saw showed Willy Wonka as a person with a disdain for all other people, but especially children. Willy's not a child molester, he just wants to find an heir to run the factory when he's gone. in fact, the only similarity i found between Depp's Wonka and the Michael Jackson of 2005 is their strange, unnatural color.

Ebert also says, "What was he thinking of? In "Pirates of the Caribbean" Depp was famously channeling Keith Richards, which may have primed us to look for possible inspirations for this performance. But leaving "Pirates" aside, can anyone look at Willy Wonka and not think of Michael Jackson? Consider the reclusive lifestyle, the fetishes of wardrobe and accessories, the elaborate playground built by an adult for the child inside. What's going on here? Bad luck that the movie comes out just as the Jackson trial has finally struggled to a conclusion."

i didn't think of MJ at all during the movie - a couple of times during the movie, i got the impression that depp was perhaps channeling Carson Kressley, actually - but overall, i think johnny depp put johnny depp's interpretation of willy into Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - making it a good movie, just as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was, but for different reasons.

perhaps ebert got it backwards - Jacko's channeled Willy Wonka in the past - but the review of this movie was definitely wrong.

*8-)